Masvingo Provincial Hospital suspends 17 over drug...

Masvingo Provincial Hospital suspends 17 over drug quantity anomalies

Zim Now Writer

Masvingo Provincial Hospital has suspended 17 staffers, among them nurses, general hands and drivers, who had access to the hospital pharmacy.

The referral centre’s medical superintendent Dr Noel Zulu reportedly suspended the 17 following an audit that revealed anomalies in medicine quantities.

Masvingo Provincial Medical Director Dr Amadeus Shamhu confirmed the development.

“I can confirm that 17 staffers with access to the pharmacy have been suspended from work after an audit revealed that some medicines are missing. We do not have value for the missing medicines,” said Dr Shamhu.

The workers, who were initially suspended from duty for 14 days with benefits on 16 January, were summoned to a hearing on 19 January and sent on forced leave on 8 February.

“Following your 14-day suspension from duty and its expiry thereto on 3 February 2023, you were supposed to report for work on 6 February 2023. However, the investigation process is still ongoing. As such, you are hereby put on forced leave with full benefits until the investigations are completed. We hope this investigation should be completed within the shortest possible time,” reads an 8 February memo signed by Dr Zulu.

Some affected staffers who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of victimisation alleged that no audit was carried out before their suspension.

“Dr Zulu suspended us but no audit was carried out, it was just a regular medicine level check by one pharmacist and he never asked us what happened to the stocks. They cannot say it was an audit. We share medicines with other hospitals and furthermore, we were supposed to have been suspended by the human resources officer and not the medical superintendent,” said one of the suspended workers.