Rationalizing the cost of anaesthesia in Zimbabwe: a proposal

Abstract

With the worsening economic situation in the country, it is only prudent to develop ‘survival strategies’ in order to keep afloat . Under such hardships human behaviour manifests the jungle rules of ‘survival of the fittest’. That is exactly what is happening particularly in the health sector, as I will highlight in this letter. The importation of medical drugs in Zimbabwe is controlled, but their resale is liberalized. The same anaesthetic drug may cost a hospital two to three times more by buying it from one company than from the other as shown below (Table I). This information is from an unpublished survey of the buying patterns of three hospitals and two public hospital pharmacies.