adminFortunate Gora Mash West Correspondent
GOVERNMENT has restocked all health centres in Mashonaland West Province that had run out of tuberculosis drug — TB-rhzedc.
The province now has six months cover for the essential drug.
In an interview yesterday, Mashonaland West Ministry of Health and Child Care promotion officer Mr George Kambondo said Government had provided adequate stocks to cater for all patients in the province.
“We want to assure our patients that we now have adequate stocks so they should go and collect their supplies from their health centres,” he said. “We started dispatching the drugs last Friday and we continued to do so throughout the weekend to make sure that our patients start accessing the drugs today (Monday).’’
Some patients started collecting their drugs on Sunday.
The development has brought relief to the province.
Statistics from the Ministry of Health and Child Care show that the province has 432 patients on TB treatment, with Sanyati having the highest number at 105, while Kariba has the least number of 23 patients.
Some patients who collected their drugs at Chengaose Clinic in Chinhoyi yesterday hailed the Government’s move, saying they were now afraid of developing drug-resistant TB as they stopped taking their medication about four months ago.
“I stopped taking my medication in May, but thank God, today I got the drug,” said Mrs Netsai Rwozi. “I heard that if I stop taking the medication I will develop drug-resistant TB, so I was now afraid,”
Local doctor, Dr Willard Chaunoita said patients who had defaulted taking the TB drugs for a period of more than two months should undergo some TB drug-resistant tests to determine their status.
Online Reporter