Zimbabwe is preparing to receive its first delivery of China’s Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine, saying the shipment will first undergo “rigorous examinations” before being rolled out
By Costa Nkomo and Leopold Munhende
ZIMBABWE’S Covid-19 statistics could be highly misleading due to the health ministry’s dereliction of duty which has seen some sub-standard test kits finding their way onto the market.
These defective test kits have turned out to have a lowly 20% accuracy rate and are by-passing mandatory quality checks by key medical equipment vetting bodies straight to medical laboratory centres and other testing centres like clinics and hospitals.
Investigations carried out by NewZimbabwe.com over the past week, have revealed that the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ), whose role is to evaluate the quality and effectiveness of all medical equipment before public use, has had its role pushed back by senior health ministry officials.
Fighting disease one pill at a time
MASERU-WITH the Covid-19 pandemic wreaking havoc across the country, Dr ’Maseabata Ramathebane wants the government to consider utilising pharmacies registered with the Lesotho Medical, Dental and Pharmacy Council (LMDPC) to ease pressure.
“More people would have been tested if we were to get Covid-19 rapid tests done in retail pharmacies, and we would have accurate statistics as a country,” Dr Ramathebane says.
“At the moment, people die before they receive their PCR Covid-19 results, and this does not help the situation, as funerals have become super-spreaders of Covid-19,” she says.
“It will really help to know how many people are infected with the disease, and also at a personal level so that one can take responsibility of self-isolation and also receive help on time.”