AFRO-NETS> ZIMBABWE: Health system crumbles as economic crisis deepens

[A Odutola <chpss_abo@yahoo.com>]

ZIMBABWE: Health system crumbles as economic crisis deepens
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Did you know that as the economic crisis deepens in Zimbabwe, 
health care services are crumbling and medical suppliers and 
pharmacies hiked prices of drugs and medicaments by 1,000 percent 
in October 2003 citing increase in import costs by the same mar-
gin? A retail sachet of (ten tablets) paracetamol went up from 
Zim$ 110 (US 13 cents) in August, to Zim$ 1,100 (US$ 1.30) this 
month, while a half litre bottle of children's cough mixture now 
costs Zim$ 6,000 (US$ 7.50), up from Zim$ 450 (US 56 cents) last 
month. (Irin News). Meanwhile, as hospitals are reportedly stop-
ping in-patient admissions for lack of food to feed them (Irin 
News), President Mugabe is putting finishing touches to his lav-
ish retirement home estimated to cost 72 million South African 
Rands (Zim$ 8.33 billion or US$ 10.4 million) in a country where 
the average monthly take home pay for workers is a mere 80 Rands 
(Zim$ 9,20 or US$ 11.50). (BusinessDay, ZA)
 
Read all about how the deepening economic crisis is impacting on 
the health care system in Zimbabwe from Datelinehealth-Africa.net 

[you have to register to access this service]: 

Zimbabwe: Rising costs of medical drugs impacts on poor, 7 Octo-
ber 2003 
http://www.datelinehealth-africa.net/betav1.0/news/detailnews.asp?news_id=8230
 
Zimbabwe: Deepening crisis affects health care, 30 September 2003 
http://www.datelinehealth-africa.net/betav1.0/news/detailnews.asp?news_id=8059
 
Zimbabwe: Mugabe builds a R72m mansion, 1 September 2003 
http://www.datelinehealth-africa.net/betav1.0/news/detailnews.asp?news_id=7352
 
Zimbabwe: A health system on the edge, 1 August 2003 
http://www.datelinehealth-africa.net/betav1.0/news/detailnews.asp?news_id=6830



--
A. Odutola
mailto:chpss_abo@yahoo.com

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