Zimbabwe: Govt Losing Millions As Health Workers Steal Drugs for Resale - Deputy Minister Says

What the report says

Zimbabwe’s Health and Child Care deputy minister, Sleiman Kwidini, told lawmakers that the government is losing substantial amounts of money because some employees at public health institutions are allegedly stealing medicines and hospital supplies for resale. The remarks were reported by New Zimbabwe and distributed by AllAfrica, with the issue raised during a National Assembly session in Harare on Wednesday, 21 August 2026.

According to the report, Gutu South MP and Zanu PF Chief Whip Pupurai Togarepi pressed the ministry on whether controls were in place to stop drugs bought by the state from ending up in private pharmacies. Kwidini said the leakages were contributing to shortages in public hospitals and clinics and indicated that some stolen medicines were being sold on for profit. He also said those responsible could face arrest and prosecution.

Kwidini said the ministry had brought in a company to install a tracking system to follow medicines from the state procurement agency NatPharm through hospitals and pharmacies. He added that access to essential drugs remained uneven, and that the government was seeking partnerships to improve supply, including support for locally produced medicines and public-private arrangements to make imported drugs more affordable.

The report highlights broader concerns about medicine shortages and accountability in Zimbabwe’s public health system, especially for patients who are sometimes given prescriptions to fill at private pharmacies instead of receiving drugs at state facilities.