By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) has revealed that it is now monitoring public hospitals and clinics to curb thefts and ensure drugs are not diverted to the black market.

The development follows checks that were done at the country’s drug procurement and supply entity, the National Pharmaceutical Company (Natpharm) amid suspicions that some of the drugs were being diverted to the black market.

Through its Prevention and Corporate Governance Unit, ZACC is targeting Parirenyatwa, Chitungwiza and Sally Mugabe (formerly Harare Central) hospitals, among other public hospitals and clinics.

In a statement at the weekend, the commission said the operation was an extension of ongoing Natpharm compliance checks on drugs.

“The objective of the operation is to ensure that there are no leakages and abuse in the distribution of drugs to hospitals,” said ZACC.

“The operation is meant to bring sanity to hospitals and improve service delivery and stamp out corruption that has seen patients in some parts of the country being made to pay huge amounts of money for drugs which are sourced by Government funds or donated by the Global Fund, WHO and other international partners.

“The compliance unit is tracking the path of distribution of such drugs from the time they leave Natpharm until the drugs are administered to patients.”

ZACC said it was testing the effectiveness and reliability of the distribution system to ensure that it was not open to abuse.

Some health workers, it said, were being found selling essential drugs which were in short supply in formal channels.

“Some doctors are prescribing alternative drugs which are not in stock and refer patients to their pharmacies where sometimes patients are forced to pay exorbitant prices in US dollars,” said ZACC.

Other areas to be covered by the operation include disposal of expired drugs which are being sold on the streets.

ZACC is seeking to have the hospitals adopt electronic systems of drugs storage and administration to avoid the manipulation and abuse of the stock card system.

-StateMedia