Mpilo Hospital in Bulawayo is reportedly saddled with a $1, 6 million debt owed to drug suppliers, a report by the Senate Thematic Committee on HIV and Aids has revealed.
The committee produced the report in February following a tour of several hospitals in five of the countrys 10 provinces.
Some of the hospitals visited include Chiredzi District Hospital, St Anthonys Musiso Hospital in Masvingo, Beitbridge District Hospital in Matabeleland South, Mpilo Hospital and Khami Clinic in Bulawayo, Nyamandlovu Hospital in Matabeleland North and AI Davies and Mbizo 11 clinics in the Midlands.
Mpilo Hospital was said to owe drug suppliers about $1,6 million and only $2, 6 million out of a budget allocation of $4 million had been made during the 2011 financial year, read the report.
It was also sad to note that all health centres visited had similar budgetary constraints as allocations from the fiscus were no longer being released for the activities of the health institutions.
The report revealed Beitbridge District Hospital was relying on the Health Services Fund to finance its activities and at Nyamandhlovu Hospital, more than 60 000 patients on anti-retroviral treatment were at risk of failing to access their drugs this year if the issue was not addressed.
It also emerged during the visits of the committee that a considerable number of health workers were paid by donors and in clinics like Khami, out of three CD4 count machines only one was being utilised because there was no staff to use the other two at the clinic, the committee said.
The committee recommended the Ministry of Public Works to expedite repairs to infrastructure at hospitals and ensure health institutions received their budgetary allocations as soon as possible.
