Parliamentary committee to visit Natpharm depots after revelations of dire state
via NewsDay Zimbabwe6 min read
The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care has announced a series of site visits to National Pharmaceutical Company Natpharm depots across Zimbabwe. This decision follows two weeks of oral evidence from the Health and Child Care ministry and Natpharm officials, which exposed significant financial distress, mounting debts, and operational challenges at the parastatal. Natpharm, responsible for supplying medicine to public hospitals, is reportedly owed millions by the Government of Zimbabwe, its sole shareholder, which has hampered its ability to procure medicines and pay suppliers. Committee chairperson and Emakhandeni-Luveve legislator Descent Bajila highlighted that recent changes in United States government foreign funding have also disrupted Natpharm’s storage revenue stream. Bajila emphasized that a functional Natpharm is crucial for Zimbabwe's health security, economic resilience, and industrial growth, aligning with Sustainable Development Goals and the National Development Strategy 2. The committee believes these visits will help verify the extent of the problems and guide recommendations to stabilize the critical health institution.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by NewsDay Zimbabwe.
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