By AFPMore by this AuthorHARAREA major state hospital in Zimbabwe has suspended routine surgery after running out of painkillers, local media reported Monday, underlining the country’s worsening economic crisis. Harare Central Hospital, the country’s second biggest, said it would focus only on emergencies, intensive care and maternity cases. “Our hospital caters for the poorest of the poor, three quarters of whom cannot afford to pay the user fees,” he said. Zimbabwe adopted the US dollar and South African rand in 2009 after inflation, which peaked at 500 billion per cent rendered the local dollar unusable. But Zimbabwe has run short of US dollar notes, forcing banks to limit cash withdrawals.

Source: Daily Nation September 19, 2016 17:48 UTC