The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) has released the clinical equipment meant for Mpilo Central Hospital after it was impounded from a team of United Kingdom health specialists.
This prompted officials from Mpilo Hospital to apply for a duty-free waiver with ZIMRA after hearing of the incident.
Led by International Society of Nephrology’s Educational Ambassador, Doctor Nitin Kolhe, the health specialists landed in Bulawayo Sunday at the Joshua Mqabuko International Airport where the medical equipment was seized over upaid duty.
ZIMRA demanded the foreign mission to pay £3 000 for the equipment to come through, a move which annoyed Dr Kolhe, as his team was supposed to start training at Mpilo from Monday, whose programme ends this Friday.
The seized equipment included a portable ultrasound machine, peritoneal dialysis catheters, renal biopsy needle, sutures, suturing tray, and sterile packs.
In a positive development, ZIMRA has since released the equipment after Mpilo Hospital successfully applied for a duty-free application.
In an interview with CITE on Tuesday, Mpilo Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Leonard Mabhandi confirmed the medical equipment had been freed and since delivered to the doctors.
“The impounded medical equipment has since been released and cleared under the duty-free waiver, which we applied for immediately after learning the equipment was impounded,” said Mabhandi.
The CEO added the UK health specialists had resumed training using the same equipment.
“As we speak, the doctors have received the equipment and are now conducting their training” he said.
The UK health specialists will also donate other equipment they brought to the country but will travel back with their ultrasound machine.
