South Africa is suffering from medicine shortages, especially supplements such as iron tablets,(ferrous sulphate), multivitamins and folic acid. A pregnant woman had to go home recently from an antenatal clinic in East Cape Province without such simple drugs. The country also ran dry recently of BCG vaccine, an injection given to newborn to protect them against TB.
While the authorities may find excuse for the lack of folic acid tablets and BCG as these are global problems, they have no excuse for shortages of iron tablets and multivitamins.
According to reports, the department of health claims there is no shortage of medicines in the hospital pharmacies, the pharmacists on ground say otherwise.
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