The Minister of Health and Child Care, Douglas Mombeshora, said the recent demonstrations held by nurses at Sally Mugabe Central Hospital in Harare were illegal as the issues raised by the nurses were already being addressed.
The nurses were protesting deteriorating working conditions, which they claimed were impacting operations at one of Zimbabwe’s largest referral hospitals.
Their grievances included a lack of basic amenities such as electricity and running water, which they said were affecting both their work and the quality of care provided to patients.
Speaking in Parliament last week, Mombeshora said the nurses’ primary complaint related to shortages of essential medicines and supplies, particularly syringes. He said the national medicine stock levels currently stand at 49%, with plans to reach 60% by the end of the year. Said Mombeshora:
<blockquote>
The problem that we saw of those who were demonstrating at Sally Mugabe Hospital has nothing to do with that system. It is all about their thoughts. They were complaining about the lack of stocks of medicines.
Of course, the stock levels may be low but right now the stock levels are at 49%, we are not happy with it but this year our target is 60%. We want to increase the levels gradually but we cannot do it immediately.
</blockquote>
Mombeshora said authorities were uncertain whether the nurses were protesting due to a shortage of syringes or if there were other underlying reasons, as syringes were available at pharmacies. He said:
<blockquote>
What surprised me is that when I went to Sally Mugabe Hospital on Monday when they were demonstrating, most of the things they were talking about were things that they knew were being looked into.
Some of the things they complained about were syringes. We went to pharmacies and saw the syringes.
So, we now do not know whether they were demonstrating because of a lack of syringes or they were doing it for something else.
What they did was illegal because they were supposed to give us two weeks in advance before they started demonstrating.
We told them to come and talk to us in time so that things may be worked out, we want to ensure that the health of our people is safe.
</blockquote>
Mombeshora said the Health Ministry faced challenges in procuring medicines, citing delays in budget allocations and extended lead times in manufacturing.
More: <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/local-news/article/200039935/nurses-strike-illegal-govt">NewsDay</a>

Pindula News

The Health Minister says nurses protesting at Sally Mugabe Hospital did something wrong because their issues were already being fixed. The nurses were complaining about not having enough basic things like electricity and water that were affecting their work and patient care. The Minister said they were also upset about not having enough medicines and supplies, but they were already working on getting more. He said the nurses were supposed to talk to them first before protesting and that it was illegal for them to protest without warning. The Minister admitted there were challenges in getting medicines but they were trying to fix it.

Health Minister Calls Nurses' Protests At Sally Mugabe Hospital Illegal

The Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) said it successfully conducted raids in the Gazebo area of Caledonia, Harare, with support from the Zimbabwe Republic Police’s (ZRP) Drugs and Narcotics Division.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, 28 February, MCAZ said the operation targeted unlicensed shops suspected of dealing in medicines and other pharmaceutical products.
The authority said that during the raid, six unlicensed shops were inspected, leading to the discovery of unregistered medicines, expired drugs, and even registered medicines being sold unlawfully.
It said all the shops were manned by unlicensed individuals.
<img alt="Image" decoding="async" src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GHcX7cGXcAEbRGl?format=jpg&amp;name=medium"/><img alt="Image" decoding="async" src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GHcX7b-WwAAiWhU?format=jpg&amp;name=medium"/>
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Medicines Control Authority Raids Unlicensed Pharmacies

Masvingo General Hospital medical superintendent Dr. Noel Zulu has suspended 17 workers after an audit revealed that some medicines were missing from the hospital pharmacy.
Masvingo Provincial Medical Director (PMD) Dr. Amadeus Shamhu confirmed the development to the <a href="https://www.sundaynews.co.zw/masvingo-general-hospital-suspends-17-staffers/">Sunday News</a>. He said:
<blockquote>
I can confirm that 17 staffers with access to the pharmacy have been suspended from work after an audit revealed that some medicines are missing. We do not have value for the missing medicines.
</blockquote>
The suspended staffers include nurses, general hands, and drivers.
The workers were initially suspended from duty for 14 days with benefits on 16 January 2023.
On 19 January, they were summoned to a hearing and sent on forced leave on 8 February.
A memo dated 8 February and signed by Dr. Zulu says investigations into the matter will be completed within the shortest possible time. Reads the memo:
<blockquote>
Following your 14-day suspension from duty and its expiry thereto on 3 February 2023, you were supposed to report for work on 06 February 2023, however, the investigation process is still ongoing.
As such, you are hereby put on forced leave with full benefits until the investigations are completed.
We hope this investigation should be completed within the shortest possible time.
</blockquote>
One of the affected workers, speaking to the Sunday News on condition of anonymity, said no audit was conducted but a routine medicine-level check. Said the employee:
<blockquote>
Dr Zulu suspended us but no audit was carried out, it was just a regular medicine level check by one pharmacist and he never asked us what happened to the stocks. They cannot say it was an audit.
We share medicines with other hospitals and furthermore, we were supposed to have been suspended by the human resources officer and not the medical superintendent.
</blockquote>

Masvingo General Hospital Suspends 17 Workers Over Missing Medicines

The Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) has expressed concern over the increased advertising of medicines on social media platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, and Twitter saying it is in violation of the law.
MCAZ said an advertisement according to the Medicines and Allied Substances Control Act (Chapter 15:03) in relation to any medicine, means any written, pictorial, visual, or other descriptive matter or verbal statement or reference.
In a statement, MCAZ said section 65(1)(b) states that no person shall advertise any other medicine without the approval of the authority in writing. It added:
<blockquote>
Any person who contravenes the provisions of these regulations, other than a provision for the contravention of which a penalty is provided by subsection (3) of section 38 or subsection (2a) of section 39 of the Act, shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding level seven or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding six months or to both such fine and such imprisonment.
</blockquote>
MCAZ said it will work with the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) to take necessary measures including prosecution, against those illegally advertising medicines on social media.

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