Tonnes  of Tuberculosis (TB) drugs are expiring in the country’s public hospitals at a time thousands of patients  are dying, a senior government official has said.
“We have ballooning stocks of TB drugs in our hospitals and if they were vitamins we could all them, but  the unfortunate thing is that they are expiring ,”HIV/TB deputy director in the ministry of Health and Child Care, Dr Charlse Sandy told reporters attending a TB reporting workshop which was organised by the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) in Kadoma this week.
According to government records Matebeleland has the highest number (27%) of people dying of TB.
But Dr Sandy said the rising number of TB deaths cases were not related to the availability of drugs which are expiring.
“It could be delays in seeking care and that’s where issues needs to be addressed on raising awareness in communities on the symptoms of TB and what are the available facilities for those who might need them,” he said.
“Other cases might be emanating from people who might not be resident in the country; they come back at the time their situation has deteriorated”.
It also emerged at the workshop that in some parts, the people walk for at least 20 kilometres to the nearest health care centre for services.
It was also highlighted that  there are few facilities  which offer both TB and HIV services.
Statistics show that least 70% of TB patients have HIV.
An official with International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union), an organisation which provides TB and health services to communities said they were going to assist government in expanding one stop HIV/TB service shops throughout the country.
Currently there are 26 such centres and most of them are in urban areas.