Author: Healthtimes

First Lady Cracks Whip On Negligent Midwives/Doctors

Healthtimes

FIRST lady, amai Axila Mnangagwa is engaging the ministry  of health and child care (M0HCC)  to enforce a standard which mandates government to penalise practitioners whose patients would have died under their care, a move which is set to nip negligence in the bud and reduce maternal deaths.   By Michael Gwarisa in Mahusekwa Addressing a belated World Breast Feeding Day commemorations event in Mahusekwa, the first lady said under the proposed system, midwives and medical doctors will be required to write a detailed report of the circumstances that would…

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RBZ Injects US$6, 7 million To Allay Medicine Shortages

Healthtimes

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) yesterday pumped in US$6, 7 million to mitigate the shortage of much needed foreign currency for the supply and manufacturing of medicines in the health sector, a Cabinet Minister said on Friday. By Kudakwashe Pembere A cross section of the health sector called on the apex bank to consider allocating a chunk of the US$500 million line of credit announced in the Monetary Policy Statement last week to the health sector which for months has been enduring the foreign currency crisis which caused the…

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Labode Retains Portfolio Committee On Health Leadership

Healthtimes

FIREBRAND, Matabeleland North member of parliament, Dr Ruth Labode has retained her position as the chairperson for the Parliamentary portfolio committee on health. Dr Labode has been instrumental in advocating for girls and women’s health rights in Zimbabwe. She has been pushing for the relaxation of abortion laws to ensure women get access to abortion services legally and conveniently. In the previous parliament, Dr Labode and the portfolio committee on health team worked hard to ensure the public health bill sials through parliament. Speaking to HealthTimes recently at the world…

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US Govt Injects $750 000 For Zim’s Fight Against Trafficking

Healthtimes

The United States Government has over the past years injected into Zimbabwe $750 000 in the fight against human trafficking.   By Kudakwashe Pembere US Ambassador to Zimbabwe Brian Nichols addressing delegates at a Human Trafficking Discussion said human trafficking was an increasing phenomenon the world over with most victims being third world countries’ citizens. “The United States Government is supporting Zimbabwe with $750 000 in anti-trafficking assistance that goes to victim services, awareness, referrals, aligning legislation, and building regional capacity,” he said. US Harare Embassy Political Officer Ben Wiselogle…

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Of Adolescent Mothers and Maternal Complications

Healthtimes

ZIMBABWE is still struggling to cope with growing cases of maternal deaths and complications with statistics indicating that young girls aged 10 to 13 being the biggest victims.   By Michael Gwarisa According to the UNFPA National Adolescent Fertility Study of 2016, in Zimbabwe the fertility for adolescent women aged 15-19 years was 115 births per 1,000 women of the same age in 2015. The report also indicated that although fertility  rates  among  women  aged  20  years  and  above  in  Zimbabwe  have  fallen  over  the  last  two  decades,  adolescent  pregnancy …

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#BREAKING: Gvt Given 72 Hour Ultimatum To Resolve Drug Crisis

Healthtimes

THE Zimbabwean government risks being dragged to court should it fail the address the prevailing drug and essential drugs crisis which has seen most pharmacies and pharmaceutical retailers closing shops, putting millions of lives at risk.   By Michael Gwarisa Through a statement, the Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights (ZADHR) said the ministry of finance and economic development and the RBZ should announce measures that will urgently put to an end the prevailing crisis. “The Board of the Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights (ZADHR) met and…

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Hospitals and pharmacies reject medical aid as drug prices hit the roof

Healthtimes

THE country’s crisis-hit health sector faced fresh challenges over the weekend as pharmacies and private hospitals rejected medical aid schemes as prices of critical drugs hit the roof. Zimbabwe has been in the throes of a cholera epidemic which claimed nearly 50 lives across the country with more than 7,000 cases reported in development blamed on lack of clean water supplies and broken sewer infrastructure. A new storm has however, hit the health sector from another front as foreign currency shortages affect the supply of drugs. New fiscal measures announced…

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AHFoZ Calls On RBZ To Urgently Allocate Forex For Healthcare Products

Healthtimes

The Association of Healthcare Funders of Zimbabwe has expressed concern that there is no mention of healthcare products in the list of strategic imports for which the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe says it has put in place $500 million facilities. By HealthTimes Reporter It has urged the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe to urgently allocate foreign currency for the purchase of pharmaceutical supplies and other healthcare consumables. In a statement, AHFoZ said there were reports of severe shortages of essential drugs and of some pharmacies charging for medication in United States…

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Pharmacies Charging Parallel Market Rates

Healthtimes

SEVERAL pharmaceutical retailers in Harare have resorted to charging all medicines especially critical drugs using a two tier pricing system as a way to stay afloat in the business dogged by foreign currency shortages, HealthTimes can exclusively reveal.   By Kudakwashe Pembere Investigations by this publication reveal that in this two tier system, the United States dollar has its own price while the Bond notes, Ecocash, RTGS have another which is a multiplication of five or three to the US currency. Pharmaceutical Society of Zimbabwe (PSZ) president Portifa Mwendera in…

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Avenues Clinic In US$10 million Refurbishment Drive

Healthtimes

THE Avenues Clinic has rolled out a US$10 million refurbishment project as the institution works towards transforming itself into a major foreign currency earner through offering world-class treatment and care services to both locals and foreigners.   By Michael Gwarisa The US$10 million capital injection which was partly funded by NedBank, comes at a time the health sector is reeling from a myriad challenges chief among them being the unavailability of foreign currency and massive shortages of essential drugs. The project will be three phased starting with the patients’ ablution…

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