Individuals and Pharmacies are selling illegal, unapproved and mostly faulty COVID-19 rapid test kits in Harare, The Sunday Mail reports.
According to the publication, the test kits in question cost between US$35 to US$55 per unit and they are prone to produce erroneous results, apart from the fact that they give results in 15 minutes. Moreover, the government has banned the testing of COVID-19 outside prescribed medical facilities.
The test kits are being sold on social media platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook and through word mouth and one can get a box of the kits which contains 25 test kits for $900.
According to the publication, their investigation showered that the test kits dealers are capitalising on non-availability of mass testing kits in registered healthcare facilities with approved COVID-19 testing kit and making some quick buck while at it.
The dealers are reportedly working in cahoots with healthcare professionals according to the publication. Some doctors are reportedly referring people who are suffering from various ailments to first be tested for COVID-19 using the test kits and some doctors are referring their patients to these dealers.
The publication could not ascertain where the dealers are getting the test kits from with reports circulating that they are being sourced from Europe and Asia.
More: The Sunday Mail