via Hospital gives expired drugs – The Zimbabwean 8 July 2015
A new report by the Auditor General indicates that Mutare General Hospital gave patients expired drugs, while a government-controlled mental health institution’s viability is under threat.
There have also been recent reports that government health institutions like Mpilo Hospital were dispensing expired drugs. The AG’s report on state enterprises and parastatals says the hospital received 100 boxes of a drug called Alluvia on February 27, 2012 with a March 31 2012 expiry date.
The drug was then dispensed to the hospital’s family child health department the following day and on subsequent dates after its expiry. “On May 8, the remaining boxes were declared no longer suitable for human treatment and were transferred to the expired drugs store, notwithstanding the fact that on two occasions the drug was dispensed in their expired state,” read the report.
“There was no evidence to support that the hospital pharmacy sought authority from the Medical Laboratory and clinical Council to distribute drugs that had passed their expiry date.” As a result, said the report, the health of patients may be compromised through consumption of expired drugs”.
The hospital could not offer a substantive explanation, saying current staff were not working at the hospital during that period.
Turning to Rusape general hospital, the AG’s report said there were anomalies in the number of drugs on the stock card and those physically checked. This could lead to misappropriation of the drugs.
The Rusape centre had no air conditioner where HIV testing machine, the CD4 count machine, was being kept. This is despite the fact that room temperatures where the machines are kept must be between 18 and 24 degrees Celcius.
Because of the absence of an air conditioner, the CD count machine was at times switched off to avoid overheating, even though this must be avoided. This could lead to a delay in obtaining CD4 count results.
At Marondera and Gwanda general hospitals, HIV test results for children under two years were taking an average of three months to come out even though the period should be far shorter than that. Long periods before results come out can undermine HIV therapy for children.
The report noted that Ingutsheni central hospital, which caters for the mentally ill, was facing operational challenges that “are casting significant doubt on the ability of the hospital to continue operating as a going concern”. The institution incurred a net operating deficit of $1 million during the year that ended on December 31, 2013.
The hospital did not comply with the Public Accountants and Auditors’ Board (PAAB) on how to translate Zimbabwean dollars to the multi-currency regime adopted in 2009. While operating from premises rented from local government, the hospital does not have a lease agreement with the ministry. The hospital did not have an audit committee and stands to be penalised for this omission.
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