THE cost of health care in Zimbabwe went up last week when medical drug suppliers and pharmacies hiked prices by more than 1 000 percent, citing an increase by the same margin in import costs, the Zimbabwe Guardian can reveal.
The new medical fees come just two weeks after the country’s private medical practitioners increased their fees by over 80 percent.
The country’s health sector has been hit hard by various problems including drug and medicine shortages, the exodus of skilled medical personnel and the high cost of medical care.
According to a survey carried out the Zimbabwe Guardian in Bulawayo and Kadoma this week, paracetamol ─ a well known pain killer ─ went up from Z$40 million to Z$200 million while a 500 ml bottle of children’s cough mixture now costs Z$250 million up from Z$50 million.
“By the end of this week we might be forced again to review upwards our prices because the exchange rate continues to go up. Our increases are in fact the ripple effects of the high drug importation costs, which suppliers have always complained about,” said James Nkala, a manager with one of the leading pharmacies in Bulawayo.
An official of the Zimbabwe Medical Wholesalers Association (ZMWA), Joseph Chando was quoted last week by the local media as saying price increases in the drug sector were imminent because importation costs had gone up by 1 000 percent.
“We find the cost of importing drugs highly prohibitive. In fact, most of us are not sure if we will remain in business because of the high costs involved,” said Chando.
Zimbabwe imports most of its medication requirements. The shortage of foreign currency in the mainstream economy has forced suppliers to source foreign currency on the parallel market.
Chando also criticized government’s control of prices in the sector saying the move has impacted negatively on the industry. He said since the introduction of price controls last year some wholesalers have either completely stopped importing drugs or have scaled down operations.
READER OPINIONS
Decay, Mexico • na.com Subject: GO HERBAL Mon, 10 Mar 2008 16:21:02 • Instead of expending precious energies in reviewing prices of chemicals why isn't more positive enery put into discovering herbs, fruit and vegetables that enhance health? A garlic clove, taken once a week and given to a child, chopped up in honey and swallowed as a tablet, helps keep colds and malaria at bay, and it is rich in Vit C. Honey and lemons are pure anti- biotics. Rubbing half a lemon into your (clean) armpits is cheaper than buying deodorant. (Dete is the natural abode of lemons and limes!) Grated and roasted ginger root in food warms one's blood in cold weather. Eating meat only once a week helps the body because it is not labouring 24/7 expending precious digestive juices.
Those who grow herbs and those of Asian descent have the answers and more energy should be aimed at cultivating what they already know and practice - not importing drugs which are manufactured from pure chemicals and which I would never ever swallow because not only are they aging, but God alone knows what damage they do to internally!
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