A cholera epidemic that has killed nearly 600 people in Zimbabwe has been exacerbated by political and civil crises, as doctors and nurses Wednesday protested low pay and substandard work conditions.

Despite healthcare worker strikes and the closure of public hospitals because of the lack of drugs and equipment, the epidemic was overshadowed by other concerns, according to a Reuter’s report. Demonstrators protesting the waning worth and availability of Zimbabwean money, clashes between soldiers and civilians, an anthrax outbreak, and a stalemate over power sharing between President Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai are among the country’s other distractions.

The situation has led hundreds of the estimated 12,500 cholera victims to flee to South Africa for medical treatment, raising fears of spreading the disease, according to the report. International Red Cross sources told Reuters there had been six cholera deaths and 400 infections in South Africa. Meanwhile, the BBC reports the Limpopo River on Zimbabwe's border is contaminated with cholera and the country’s sanitation systems haven’t worked in over a month, contributing to the spread of the disease.

The Red Cross stated it shipped 13 tons of medical supplies into Harare late Wednesday night. On Thursday morning, the Zimbabwean health minister named the epidemic a national emergency and appealed for outside help, according to the New York Times.