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Doctors blow whistle on medicine crisis in North West

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Among the drug shortages doctors report are painkillers, Vitamin B12, calcium tablets, iron tablets, the flu vaccine, urine test sticks, antibiotics and drugs to treat hypertension, diabetes, epilepsy, psychiatric conditions, cryptococcal meningitis, epilepsy and pneumonia. Picture: Aaron Favila / AP
Among the drug shortages doctors report are painkillers, Vitamin B12, calcium tablets, iron tablets, the flu vaccine, urine test sticks, antibiotics and drugs to treat hypertension, diabetes, epilepsy, psychiatric conditions, cryptococcal meningitis, epilepsy and pneumonia. Picture: Aaron Favila / AP

While health officials in North West debate what defines a “crisis” of essential medicine supplies, *Tendai is panicking. Two weeks without drugs for her thyroid condition and her debilitating symptoms are back.

Tendai is a patient at Klerksdorp/Tshepong Hospital. In January, a loss of appetite, swollen feet, shaking and constant thirst saw her seek help at the hospital. She was diagnosed and prescribed medicines for long-term treatment for an overactive thyroid.

“The medicines helped me so much and all my symptoms stopped,” she says.

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