Life is bad enough as it is in Zimbabwe without you getting sick. When you or your loved one gets sick you start to release the hell that a lot of Zimbabweans are going through in order to get the medical attention they need. Besides the dearth of medicines, there is the shortage of equipment and the frequent strikes and industrial actions that make it hard for you to get attended to. Then there is the cost. It’s easy for a medical bill to run into thousands for routine treatment even if you have medical aid.

A public notice showing the price of blood in Mvurwi hospital

A recent public notice from Mvurwi hospital shows how easily this can happen. In a picture widely shared online, a public notice from the hospital shows the price of one unit of blood if one needs it. Each unit costs a whopping US$175.00 or $38 500 ZWL. That’s not even the kicker here. Quick calculations will show that the hospital is using black market rates to do their USD: ZWL conversions. If that’s true, then expect that ZWL price to go up soon as rates seem to be on an upward movement again.

See current official and unofficial rates