The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care has launched nationwide verification visits to the National Pharmaceutical Company (NATPharm) warehouses to assess medicine availability and to identify operational challenges affecting the distribution of essential drugs and medical supplies.
The exercise began in Chinhoyiyesterday, where the committee assessed the capacity of the NATPharm branch to receive, store and distribute medicines to health institutions amid concerns over stock levels, staffing and resources required to sustain operations.
In a statement, yesterday, Parliament of Zimbabwe said the visits were aimed at establishing the availability of essential medicines and examining the operational requirements underpinning the national pharmaceutical supply chain.
“The Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care today commenced nationwide verification visits to NATPHARM warehouses, starting in Chinhoyi.
“The visit assessed the availability of essential medicines, distribution capacity, staffing, and operational requirements supporting the supply of medicines and medical supplies,” the statement said.
The committee noted stock pressures affecting some essential medicines at the Chinhoyi warehouse, raising concerns over the branch’s ability to consistently meet demand from health facilities within its area of operation.
Parliament said the committee also examined fuel requirements for medicine distribution, an important component of ensuring that available medicines reach hospitals, clinics and other health facilities on time.
“The Committee noted stock pressures affecting selected essential medicines, fuel requirements for distribution, and staffing needs, with a significant number of employees engaged on contracts,” Parliament said.
The verification visits come as Parliament intensifies oversight of the health sector and to establish whether challenges within the pharmaceutical supply chain are contributing to shortages of essential medicines in public health facilities.
NATPharm plays a critical role in procuring, warehousing and distributing medicines and medical supplies to public health institutions across Zimbabwe. The effectiveness of its operations is therefore central in ensuring that patients have timely access to essential medicines.
