On Wednesday
afternoon, a Zimpapers news crew conducted a brief investigation at a primary
school in Greenhill suburb, Bulawayo, where a team of body scan operators,
claiming to represent a supplementary medicine distribution company, were
offering full-body scans with instant analyses and results. Each scan was
priced at US$5 per person.
The operators
claimed their magnetic resonance device, connected to a laptop, could detect a
wide range of conditions, including blood sugar levels, blood pressure,
cholesterol, lipids, liver function, fatty liver, cirrhosis, bile content, and
kidney health, such as uric acid levels, toxins, and overall kidney function.
The Medicines
Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) has consistently warned the public against
engaging with such bogus operators, emphasising they are not medically trained.
Their services,
authorities warn, often result in misdiagnoses and unwarranted psychological
distress.
The scanning
process typically involves individuals placing a hand on a “magnetic resonance”
device, which allegedly identifies ailments automatically, a claim dismissed by
health professionals as scientifically unsubstantiated.
The operators
further alleged that their device could accurately detect both current and
potential diseases, and claimed to have appropriate medications and herbal
remedies to prevent or treat these conditions.
One client, who
had already undergone a scan, told the news crew she was dissatisfied with the
process, stating that the list of ailments given to her did not align with any
of her symptoms or expectations.
Following the
scans, clients are usually encouraged to purchase herbal remedies costing
between US$20 and over US$100. Many are pressured to buy the herbs immediately
after receiving their scan results.
When the news
crew posed as prospective clients and asked to book a later appointment, the
operators claimed they were travelling to Dubai the following day and urged
them to find the US$5 and return the same day.
Authorities
have repeatedly warned that some of these operators offer free scanning
services at first, only to scare people with fabricated or exaggerated
diagnoses to push the sale of expensive and unverified medicinal products.
According to
the MCAZ, for any complementary medicine to be approved in Zimbabwe, applicants
must complete a statutory CM-1 application form, available via the MCAZ website
or on request. They must also fill out an EVR Quotation Confirmation Form and
submit it with a detailed list of ingredients, both qualitative and
quantitative, to the Evaluations & Registration Division.
MCAZ will
assess whether the product qualifies as a complementary medicine, advise on
applicable fees, and once payment is made, issue a receipt and job invoice,
enabling formal submission of the application.
Many of these
sellers carry certificates from the Traditional Medicines Practitioners Council
of Zimbabwe, which they mistakenly assume permits them to sell complementary
medicines.
“Some of these
products don’t make direct medicinal claims, making it hard to categorise them
as complementary medicines. You can only take legal action once they begin
advertising, especially on social media, as seen with STC30,” an MCAZ official
previously explained. Sunday News
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