Expired drugs ‘dumped’ at Mpilo Hospital

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Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo is reportedly stocked with expired drugs, raising fears that they are being administered to unsuspecting patients.

Investigations by Chronicle have revealed that “well-wishers” had turned the hospital into a “dumping site” as they were donating drugs that were either nearing their expiry dates or had expired.

An official at the hospital, a referral health institution for patients from Matabeleland North, Bulawayo, Matabeleland South, the Midlands and Masvingo said the expired drugs amounted to millions of dollars.

In one of the storerooms visited by a Chronicle newscrew there were hundreds of boxes of various drugs ranging from those that treat common ailments to critical ones.

The official accused some sections of the corporate world and non-governmental organisations of using the hospital to get cheap mileage.

“Please get me clear, I’m not saying all our donors are like that but I have noticed over the years that I have worked here that when they notice that the drugs in their shelves are about to expire they donate them to the hospital,” said the official who asked not to be named for fear of victimisation. The official also accused the hospital’s management of failing to put “brakes” on the “dumping”.

“I would also want to blame the management because I have noted that when they seek donations they do not specify to the donor what exactly they want. They take whatever has been thrown at them,” he said.

Contacted for comment on Wednesday, Mpilo Chief Executive Officer Dr Lindiwe Mlilo asked for questions in writing. However, she had still not responded yesterday.

However, the hospital’s Clinical Director, Dr Wedu Ndebele, denied that the hospital was keeping expired drugs. Dr Ndebele said the expiration of drugs was normal in any institution.

“Sometimes drugs are donated not in accordance with the institution’s needs and you discover that some have low demand, hence they are bound to expire and that is normal,” he said.

“If the drugs expire, we notify the Medicine Control Council of Zimbabwe (MCCZ) who collect them for tests in their laboratories as they are the ones mandated to disposing expired drugs.”

Dr Ndebele said there were drugs whose lifespan could be extended after the MCCZ runs the tests. Earlier this month there were reports that expired drugs were being dispensed to members of the public by some Government hospitals.

Among the drugs was the new malaria drug Coarthemether which was imported from China to replace chloroquine after a worrying number of patients had developed resistance to the drug.

According to medical experts, expired drugs tend to lose their potency and rarely cause complications. While this means it is highly unlikely that patients taking expired drugs will develop side effects, it also means that they will actually not be taking any treatment for the particular condition when they are supposed to.