Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube has dispelled rumours that government provides test kits for COVID-19 to the private sector.
Last week, Parliamentary Committee on Health Chairperson Ruth Labode was quoted to have questioned why people were being charged for COVID-19 tests when the Global Fund has provided finances for the kits.
COVID-19 testing is costing anything around US$50 to about US$60 in private laboratories.
However, the Minister of Finance has revealed that the private sector is justified to charge for the service as they are not receiving support from fiscus.
Zimbabwe receives most of its test kits from the Global Fund.
“All the COVID-19 tests kits received from the Global Fund system are distributed for use in the public sector laboratories only. It is important to emphasis that no Global Fund supported tests kits are or were released to the private sector.
“Instead, the private sector procures its own tests kits and this provides the reasons for charging fees to their patients,”.
Mthuli Ncube also highlighted that Zimbabwe does not receive support in cash from the Global Fund.
“The ministry of health does not receive cash from the Global Fund, but only PPE and COVID-19 test kits that are purchased through the Global Fund system and administered by the UNDP on behalf of the government of Zimbabwe,” he said.
US$100m for vaccines
Zimbabwe has reportedly set aside about US$100 million for the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines.
The money is expected to purchase about 20 million doses of the vaccine which will benefit about 10 million people.
There is an estimated 16 million people in Zimbabwe, however Mthuli Ncube is of the opinion that the 10 million will help the country reach head immunity.
Health workers who are on the frontline in the response against the deadly virus are earmarked to get first preference when the jab arrives.
It is however not clear which vaccine Zimbabwe will settle for from among those on the market. Get more Covid-19 Stats on CovidZW.info #OpenCovidContracts
