Harare Central Hospital suspends all elective surgeries as public hospitals across country hit hard by economic crisis.

Harare, Zimbabwe – One of Zimbabwe’s largest and oldest hospitals in the capital of Harare, has temporarily stopped performing elective surgeries because of a critical shortage of medical supplies.

In the latest crisis to hit the cash-strapped African nation, medical staff at the Harare Central hospital have scaled back services. For the time being, they will only treat life-threatening and maternity cases.

The hospital is running low on pain medication like pethidine and injectable morphine.

Zimbabwe has been undergoing an economic crisis for nearly two decades, and the public health sector, which receives only three percent of the government budget, is struggling.

“The economic situation is not good at the moment, starting from what we get from treasury,” Peggy Zvavamwe, hospital CEO, told Al Jazeera.

“We cater for that part of the population who rarely can pay for their own medication,” she said.

“You find our funds are dwindling, we try to stretch it as far as possible.”

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