HARARE Central Hospital yesterday claimed that it had resumed all surgical operations after receiving adequate stocks of essential drugs at the weekend.
BY PHYLLIS MBANJE
The referral hospital had last week suspended surgical operations due to an acute shortage of drugs such as morphine, pethidine and antibiotics.
“It was a temporary measure which we instituted to give ourselves time to secure more supplies. By 3pm on Friday, we had 1 000 doses of morphine and we have since received 1 000 more,” the clinical director, George Vera, said.
“There was a lot of panic on Friday. I received many phone calls with people anxious to know what was happening.
“We prioritised maternity and emergency cases and we also informed institutions that intended to send patients to consult with us first.”
An internal memorandum signed by the hospital’s head of the anaesthetics department, Harunavamwe Chifamba, which was leaked to the Press last week, confirmed the drugs shortages and suspension of operations.
“Due to the critical shortages of pethidine, injectable morphine, fentanyl, adrenaline, sizes 3.0, 3.5, 4.5, 6.5, 7.0, 7.5, ETT, metachlopramide, sodium bicarbonate and antibiotics, it was decided after consultation with the clinical director, heads of surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology and consultant anaesthetists, that we suspend all elective surgeries for the time being,” read part of Chifamba’s memo.
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Chifamba could not be reached for comment yesterday.
