Our urban observations series takes us to Harare, where Amanda Atwood’s drive across town sees her reflecting on healthcare and double standards
By Amanda Atwood for Public Streets by Public Books, part of theGuardian Books Network
Village Pharmacy in Harare’s upper income Borrowdale Shopping Centre is clean and quiet. There’s a faint antiseptic smell. Its shelves are neatly stacked with imported bath foam, sun cream, lotions and vitamins. The queue is short and a smiling attendant in crisp white uniform asks politely what I’m looking for. Zyrtec, an anti-rash medication? You need a prescription for that.
That’s odd, I think, and irritating. I got the same medication at Greenwood Pharmacy six months or so ago and didn’t need a prescription for it. But a situation like this is frustratingly typical for Harare, where double standards and shifting goal posts are the norm.
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