Month: August 2019

BREAKING: Retail Pharmacists Worried Over Health Minister’s Threats

Healthtimes

RETAIL pharmacists are concerned with Health and Child Care Minister’s threats of revoking their licenses should they continue overcharging medications while taking foreign currency from customers. By Kudakwashe Pembere Health Minister Dr Obadiah Moyo is on record warning retail pharmacies to stop overcharging and pricing medicines in foreign currency. “We are concerned with the Minister’s statements in the media and we are going to pay a courtesy call to the Minister and his Permanent Secretary so that we get clear communication on what he intends to do. We will first…

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Nationwide Doctors Strike In Three Days

Michael Gwarisa

GOVERNMENT hospital doctors say they will be withdrawing their services from most public hospitals in the next three days following a stalemate in negotiations between the Health Apex council and government over the salary and cost of living adjustment issue By Michael Gwarisa In a letter, Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association (ZHDA) acting president, Dr Peter Magombeyi said attempts to engage government had proved futile despite numerous attempts to engage diplomatically. This letter serves as a notice that starting the 3rd of September this year, doctors from Mpilo, Bulawayo United, Parirenyatwa…

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Parirenyarwa Radiotherapy Machines Break Down

Healthtimes

PARIRENYATWA Group of Hospitals radiotherapy machines are down again with South African technicians expected to land in the country next week to fix them, a cabinet official said. By Kuda Pembere Touring the radiotherapy unit at the institution yesterday, Health and Child Care Minister Dr Obadiah Moyo expressed concern over the frequent breaking down of the radiotherapy machines. The three machines the unit has were recently repaired after working for only two months. In July one of the machines showed faulty signs until it broke down.The Health Minister directed the…

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Pediatric HIV Drug Resistance Testing, Zim’s Health Time-bomb

Michael Gwarisa

APPROXIMATELY 1.8 million children under the age of 15 have HIV globally, and almost 90% are living in Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) with 77,000 of those in Zimbabwe. By Michael Gwarisa Efforts are underway in Zimbabwe to initiate as many children as possible  who are born HIV positive on Antiretroviral Therapy (ART), and Zimbabwe seem to be winning on that front. However, even with access to ART, rates of treatment success for children and adolescents are lower than adults across Africa. According to Johnson and Johnson, Children are more prone…

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NBSZ Gets US$800 000 For Consumables

Healthtimes

NATIONAL Blood Services Zimbabwe (NBSZ) received US$800 000 for the purchase of consumables required in their operations, an organisation official said on Friday. By Kudakwashe Pembere This comes amid requests NBSZ that they were running out of the consumables. Health and Child Care Minister Dr Obadiah Moyo seeking confirmation from NBSZ chief executive officer Mrs Lucy Marowa was told the money is coming in tranches as they wait for more. “The money came but we are asking for the remainder. Things are not looking well at all. Especially now with…

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Parirenyatwa Hospital Staff Recognised

Healthtimes

A total of 113 members of staff at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals received awards on Friday at the institution for outstanding customer service. By Kudakwashe Pembere These included clinical and non-clinical staff at the hospital including security from loss control, accountants, IT staff, nurses, doctors, general hands to mention but the few.  Some of the notable recipients of awards included Pediatrician Dr Azza Mashumba as well as the hospital’s public relations officer Mr Linos Dhire. Officiating the awards ceremony, Health and Child Care Minister Dr Obadiah Moyo said the awards…

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Low and Middle Income Countries Urged To Increase WASH Investments

Healthtimes

THE World Health Organization (WHO) and UN-Water on Thursday called on low and middle income countries to urgently increase investment in strong drinking Water, Sanitation and Hygene (WASH) sanitation systems. By HealthTimes Reporter The call came as the international water sector meets in Stockholm for its annual conference during World Water Week (25-30 August 2019). It is triggered by a new report published by WHO on behalf of UN-Water that reveals that weak government systems and a lack of human resources and funds are jeopardizing the delivery of water and…

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Zim Receives 3rd Line ARVs For Children and Adolescents

Michael Gwarisa

JANSSEN Pharmaceutical Companies a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson has donated a sizable quantity of Third-line Antiretroviral (ARV) drugs to Zimbabwe as part of its efforts to address the huge ARV drug resistance burden prevalent in children and young people. By Michael Gwarisa Through a program dubbed the New Horizons Collaborative, an integrated approach to improving pediatric HIV care, a total of 5000 children from the SADC region are set to benefit. Through the program, Janseen provides Darunavir and Etravirine, including child friendly formulations, free of charge to eligible countries…

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Zim Trauma Database Under Construction

Healthtimes

ZIMBABWE is setting up a trauma registry which documents care delivered to patients hospitalised with injuries. By Kudakwashe Pembere One of the doctors in the team coming up with this registry, Dr Wilfred Muteweye told HealthTimes this will help the country a great deal in tracking resource mobilisation. “A Trauma register is being set up to help with documentation of trauma cases. It will help to improve the effectiveness and quality of care. It will also help to plan as well as to equitably distribute resources,” he said. He said…

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Pharmaceutical Wholesalers Bemoan Power Cuts and Fuel Price Increases

Healthtimes

INCESSANT dreary power cuts coupled with ever rising fuel prices have adversely affected the pharmaceutical wholesale industry’s operations in the last three months. By Kudakwashe Pembere Zimbabwe has had to endure 18 hour long power cuts, thus affecting productivity. In an interview, Pharmaceutical and Chemical Distributors director Prashant Shah said they wrote to Zesa informing them of the critical nature of their business but haven’t received a response. We run on generator for 18 hours a day. Cold chain management is a major problem as costs escalating due to fuel…

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