By Kudakwashe Vhenge
A private clinic and a surgery in Gweru were raided by the police leading to the recovery of expired drugs and others which are not registered by the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) worth thousands of dollars.
Representatives of Gilun Clinic which is located in Mkoba 3 suburb and Ignatif Surgery located in Mkoba 14 were subsequently convicted and fined $30 000 each and the expired and unregistered drugs confiscated for destruction by MCAZ.
The expired and unregistered medicines included imported birth control pills, ibuprofen tablets, ciprofloxacin tablets, hydrochlorothiazide and 4Cs cough syrup.
The raiding of the two health centres is said to be just a tip of the iceberg amid indications that unsuspecting patients are being given expired and unregistered drugs by unscrupulous private clinics and surgeries who only want to make profit at the expense of the patient’s life.
Expired drugs can harm users.
Ignatif Surgery, represented by the managing director Evelyn Muzota of Mkoba 14 appeared before Gweru provincial magistrate Mr Edwin Marecha facing two counts of possession of unregistered medicine and selling of medicine on a date later than the expiry date.
Muzota pleaded guilty to the charge and was fined $30 000.
