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Trust Freddy Herald Correspondent
A LOCAL pharmaceuticals manufacturer is eyeing the export market after reaching a production capacity of a staggering 328 million tablets and 3,2 million oral liquids annually, joining a list as of companies contributing to the country’s ambitious goal of locally producing at least 60 percent of essential medicines.
This was revealed last Friday during a media tour organised by the Ministry of Health and Child Care of Cospharm Pharmaceuticals, a new state-of-the-art plant located in the Madokero Industrial area in Harare, which produces general oral solid and liquid formulations.
The multi-million dollar plant produces a wide range of products including paracetamol tablets, syrups, creams and ointments.
Speaking on the sidelines of the tour, Cospharm Pharmaceuticals Zimbabwe Managing Director, Mr Washington Dengu, said the plant had a capacity to produce over 300 million tablets.
“We manufacture tablets, liquids, as well as creams. We have a capacity to produce almost 328 million tablets using a single shift per day, and on oral liquids, we can produce 3,2 million bottles of 100ml on a single shift per year.
“Additionally, we have a capacity of about 2,2 million units for external liquids. On creams, we have a capacity for 5,1 million tubes of medicated creams within the plant.
“This capacity is based on a single shift; we have the ability to scale up to a double shift if there is demand in the market,” Mr Dengu said.
Mr Dengu also revealed that, despite being in the game in Zimbabwe for just three years, the company was already considered one of the pharmaceutical manufacturing giants.
“Although we consider ourselves new to the market, some like to call us a big force right now, and over the past three years, we have managed to capture the market very quickly.”
The company is now setting its sights on expanding into the export market.
“The scale at which we designed and developed this plant is global, and this facility can compete with others in Africa, Asia, Europe and America.
“We are fully export-oriented and have already started penetrating the export market; we aim to expand into many emerging export markets,” Mr Dengu added
If the Government capacitated the pharmaceutical industry, the country would realise its vision of becoming a net exporter of medical consumables.
“What is critical is the capacitation of the public procurement system through Natpharm, so that it is financially empowered to support the local industry.
“Since our biggest client is the Government, if the Government is fully capacitated and buys from local manufacturers, we can generate the necessary revenues to improve our technologies, expand our human resources, and remain compliant with global standards, comparable to other international players.” Mr Tirivashoma Dube, supply chain management advisor in the Ministry of Health and Child Care, pledged the Government’s support to all progressive pharmaceutical manufacturers, stating that such initiatives dovetailed with the country’s vision of achieving an upper-middle-income economy by 2030.
“The coming on board of Cospharm Pharmaceuticals aligns perfectly with the statutes of our National Development Strategy (NDS1), which identifies the pharmaceutical value chain as a key pillar in our development thrust as a country.
“Our goal is to have at least 60 percent of our essential medicines produced locally, and the arrival of Cospharm supports this objective.
“Moreover, it resonates with the Government’s thrust and the industry’s efforts to ensure access to quality-assured medicines manufactured locally. As a Ministry, we are committed to supporting such commendable initiatives,” Mr Dube said.
Online Reporter