Medical suppliers mourn K1.5bn business loss

Indigenous Medical and Surgical Equipment Suppliers Association (Imsesa) has expressed grief that for over two years now, government is yet to pay them K1.5 billion (about $3.7m) outstanding balances.

Imsesa general secretary Hexon Malunga claimed on Saturday that district health officers (DHOs) have stopped the body’s members from supplying equipment in public hospitals.

“Our President (Joyce Banda) has said before, that this is the year for indigenous Malawians to be empowered and shine, but it seems things are not going that direction,” said Malunga.

While denying that foreigners have usurped the supply of medical and surgical apparatus, Nsanje DHO Medson Matchaya admitted that their offices owe the indigenous suppliers some money and that they stopped them from supplying the equipment.

Matchaya’s assertion has been authenticated by a letter that Local Government and Rural Development executive secretary Wezi Mjojo addressed to all district commissioners recently that starting from July 2013, Central Medical Stores Trust (CMST) would be the sole supplier of drugs to district hospitals.

“This, therefore, means that in the event that an item is out of stock at CMST, it will be the CMST’s responsibility to source that item from the private suppliers and not the DHOs,” read part of the letter.