Health and Child Care Minister, Dr David Parirenyatwa has hailed the health levy fund billed on all airtime purchases saying it is helping to secure more drugs into the country at a time the health sector is battling against under-funding by the government.
Parirenyatwa who was on a tour of the National Pharmaceutical Company (NatPharm) also dispelled reports of drug shortages saying a big consignment is expected into the country next week.
“We are looking forward to more drug stocks coming in next week with health levy fund where we get five cents from every dollar of a phone call,
“That is the money that has accumulate to USD$18million since the fund started, that is the money we are now using outside the drugs brought by donors,
“So we are pleased with the health levy fund as seen today at NatPharm the warehouse of drugs, the stocks are now high, we hope this continues and spills over to where these drugs are supposed to be used,” said Parirenyatwa.
Parirenyatwa assured the nation that Anti Retroviral Drugs (ARVs) are now heavily in stock following a recent crisis of shortages in the country.
“As you can see half of the warehouse is filled with ARVs, so we do have enough stocks,
“The new drug called E400 is now available and we are happy that we have got those stocks here,” he added.
Parirenyatwa expressed satisfaction with the coming of drugs into the country, a move he said marked the beginning of better days for the country’s health sector.
“I am happier than I have been for a long time, the people are on the ground and working hard, we want to make sure that drugs are available in our institutions,
“This is the beginning of it,like I said more stocks will be coming into the warehouse in the next few weeks and more stocks going to our institutions,
“This is pleasing and good big start,” said Parirenyatwa.
According to Parirenyatwa, the health levy fund has nothing to do with the health budget as it is regarded as an addition to the health vote from the national treasury.
