VERNA NYAMUCHENGWE
A REPORT by Transparency International Zimbabwe (TIZ) has highlighted bribery, biased payment of suppliers and non-delivery of supplies as the main risks in the procurement of medicines amid indications that women and girls are being charged for services which are supposed to be free.
Through its project entitled Inclusive Service Delivery Africa, TIZ aims to improve access to health and education services for women and girls, and other groups at risk of discrimination by addressing corruption in those domains.
TIZ senior research officer Dakarayi Matanga said the organisation received numerous complaints of corruption in the public health sector in Zimbabwe between the period of 2019 and 2020 which were exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.
From the research conducted in urban and peri-urban areas, Matanga said citizens are being charged for services which they are supposed to access for free.
“The survey evidence indicates health workers selling free medicines, favouritism, nepotism and bribery during dispensation. Other patients get multimonth dispensation whilst others get dispensation for shorter durations such as monthly or fortnightly or lesser or even non-dispensation and they are told that the medicine is stocked out. The evidence suggests that vulnerable populations such as women, girls and children fail to access needed medicines,” Matanga said.
Corruption in the form of public procurement malpractice, theft, sale of essential medicines on the grey market and false referrals have been revealed, with reports of health workers supplying street vendors, pharmacies and medical doctors with drugs.
Matanga said there is a need for increased funding in the health sector to address the challenges posed by limited resource allocation and insufficient budgetary provisions for essential services.
The funding has been described as a solution to mitigate the illegal distribution of drugs and medical supplies through unauthorised channels and to ensure equitable access to healthcare for all citizens.
“Media reports in 2023, and TIZ’s ongoing outreach showed the challenge of diverted drugs had persisted. Negative impact of this corruption is likely to impact universal access to essential healthcare services”, Matanga said.
In 2020, the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission initiated surveillance on public hospitals and clinics to curb theft and prevent drugs from being illegally sold.
It was discovered that some healthcare workers were selling essential drugs and making them unavailable within authorised distribution channels, with others prescribing patients and referring them to their private pharmacies where they are charged exorbitant amounts in US dollars.
