adminPaidamoyo Chipunza Health Reporter
Celebration Church-Zimbabwe is embroiled in a US$2 million medicines scam after it allegedly delivered drugs worth far less than the amount it said it received from its donors.
Information gathered by The Herald showed that the church, through Celebration Health, entered into a partnership with Coca-Cola Africa Foundation and Citihope International to procure and donate medicines for the Health and Child Care Ministry.
Celebration Church is headed by beleaguered former Air Zimbabwe boss Dr Peter Chikumba.
During the official handover ceremony in November last year, which took place at the church’s Borrowdale offices, Celebration Health board chairperson Mr Simbarashe Sibanda said the donated medicines were worth over US$2 million.
However, further assessments by the receiving ministry showed that the medicines were actually worth US$202 936,50 instead of the US$2 169 533,52 claimed by the donors.
Celebration Health chief executive Dr Chikumba referred all questions to Government saying he was not in a position to comment on the matter.
Contacted for comment, Health and Child Care Minister David Parirenyatwa confirmed the disparities noted in the actual value of the donated medicines.
“Normally, we do not accept donated drugs with a short shelf life,” said Minister Parirenyatwa.
He said his ministry was engaging with the donors to establish what really transpired to come up with a solution. The implications of making a false donation is that it limits the ministry’s bidding powers for a better vote in the National Budget.
The misrepresentation was further compounded by the fact that all of the medicines had a short shelf life, with the majority expiring in March 2014.
“Under normal circumstances, manufacturers do not sell medicines that are nearing their expiration, if anything they just give them out for free.
“Furthermore, the unit prices used by our donor seem so exaggerated so there is a dispute on the value of items donated,” said a Government source.
Sources in the Ministry of Health and Child Care maintain that figures quoted by the church-administered organisation did not exist.
One glaring example is that of risperidone 4mg where 860 units were procured for Ingutsheni Hospital. According to Celebration Health, these units cost US$450 003,60 but further assessments show that the same units could be bought for US$36 120,00. This translated to about US$1 926 per unit according to Celebration Health prices as compared to the actual price of just US$5,50 per unit.
Another drug called lansoprazole 15mg was quoted at US5 897,67 a unit but further assessments shows that the same quantity could have been bought for US$110.
Sources in the Ministry of Health and Child Care maintain that figures quoted by the church-administered organisation did not exist.
“Quotations from seven global pharmaceutical companies were used in the re-assessments and none had prices which were comparable to what the church claimed,” said another source.
The donated drugs treat various ailments including high blood pressure, heart failure, prostrate disorders, seizure disorders, pain, heart attacks, stroke, allergies, type two diabetes and psychosis.
United Bulawayo, Harare Central, Chitungwiza Central, Mpilo Central, Ingutsheni, Khami and Chikurubi Maximum Prison benefited from the donations.
Online Reporter