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Minister summons DHOs over drug leaks

Minister of Health Jean Kalilani says she plans to summon all district health officers (DHOs) over drug pilferage in some public hospitals in the country.

Briefing journalists in Lilongwe on Friday on the status of medicines and supplies in public health facilities, the minister said there were challenges in as far as drug chain supply management was concerned; hence, her plan to summon DHOs to map the way forward.

Kalilani: There are supply chain management issues
Kalilani: There are supply chain management issues

Said Kalilani: “We have to admit that there are supply chain management issues which we need to address as a matter of urgency. I am actually summoning all DHOs to a meeting next week on the 4th and 5th of August to discuss some of these issues.”

She said recent reports about a health sector in crisis and near collapse are  disturbing and misleading to the nation as the stock status of medicines and medical supplies is not what the media is reporting

The minister explained that stock position at Central Medical Stores Trust (CMST) has improved over the last 18 to 24 months, citing that in early 2013, the stock availability at CMST was at around five percent, but as at June 30  2015, stock availability was at 60 percent.

But the minister blamed health workers for leakages of medicines and supplies at health facilities.

She said several studies have established leakage of medicine is a chronic problem, adding that drugs from Malawi are found in neighbouring countries.

Said Kalilani: “Some unscrupulous health workers connive with some private practitioners to move commodities from public health institutions to private clinics and at times, to street markets.

“Some government medical supplies have also found their way out of Malawi. This is very disturbing and is criminal”.

Her statement comes against a background of media reports that there has been no funding, leading to the shortage of drugs in some public hospitals in the country.

Last month, Weekend Nation investigations showed that some  DHOs did not receive a single tambala in June 2015, a situation that has seen most public hospitals reduce delivery of critical health care services and daily operations targeted at patients.

However, Ministry of Finance spokesperson Nations Msowoya blamed DHOs of not submitting their budgets on time. n

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