Hospital staff in Zimbabwe steal medicine meant for public health facilities. Nurses also bring drugs from Zambia to sell to patients who need them. This theft involves many workers, from cleaning staff to doctors. These stolen medicines end up with street sellers who push addictive drugs. Transparency International Zimbabwe found this happening in their recent report.
Low pay, poor tracking systems, and a high demand for scarce medicine drive this corruption. National offices use computers to track medicine, but local clinics use paper records that fail. Street sellers told researchers they get medicines directly from health workers, who sometimes use others to hide their involvement. They sell antibiotics, pain relievers, allergy medicines, and birth control pills. Many sellers know this hurts sick people, but they continue because they need money.
Young people often buy mood-altering drugs like Diazepam from these sellers. Police sometimes catch medicine sellers but usually release them after small bribes of $2-$5. Family planning officials reportedly hoard birth control when supplies run low to sell later. In the Epworth area of Harare, pharmacies had no contraceptives, but street vendors had boxes full. Some doctors keep antibiotics in their offices without proper permits from the authorities.
Low pay, poor tracking systems, and a high demand for scarce medicine drive this corruption. National offices use computers to track medicine, but local clinics use paper records that fail. Street sellers told researchers they get medicines directly from health workers, who sometimes use others to hide their involvement. They sell antibiotics, pain relievers, allergy medicines, and birth control pills. Many sellers know this hurts sick people, but they continue because they need money.
Young people often buy mood-altering drugs like Diazepam from these sellers. Police sometimes catch medicine sellers but usually release them after small bribes of $2-$5. Family planning officials reportedly hoard birth control when supplies run low to sell later. In the Epworth area of Harare, pharmacies had no contraceptives, but street vendors had boxes full. Some doctors keep antibiotics in their offices without proper permits from the authorities.
