NGO fights drug pilferage in community health systems
Development Communications Trust (DCT) has established accountability monitoring mechanisms to enable communities to report cases of drug pilferage and strengthen citizens’ capacity to monitor the utilisation of drugs and medical supplies.
Speaking at the weekend during a meeting at Chikhota Primary School in Traditional Authority Chilooko in Ntchisi, DCT monitoring and evaluation officer Bettie Chumbu said the project aims at addressing drug pilferage in community health systems targeting women, youths, people with disabilities and people living with HIV and Aids.
She said the project will engage and influence local health workers to improve availability, quality and utilisation of medicines and medical supplies through established accountability monitoring mechanisms.
“We have noted that there is high drug pilferage cases in community health systems and abuse of medical supplies are still rampant.
“Some of the factors contributing to this problem are inadequate oversight roles and functions among community level health governance structures in monitoring resource for health, limited participation among citizens in decision-making processes and demand for accountability in community health systems and inadequate social accountability monitoring mechanics. Therefore, the project seeks to address these issues,” said Chumbu.
In his remarks, Malomo Rural Health Centre in-charge Noel Ngwata commended DCT for coming up with mechanisms to prevent drug pilferage in the hospitals by engaging local communities to take part in the accountability of medical supplies.
On his part, senior group village head Ngoma said there is need for concerted efforts to fight against drug theft and shortage in the country.
“I would like to thank DCT for coming to our rescue in terms of shortage of medical drugs due to theft. We are now able to follow all issues related to medical drugs in our village clinics as well as health centres and there is a good relationship between the communities and hospital staff due to the coming of DCT,” he said.
DCT, with funding from European Union through Tilitonse Foundation, is implementing the project in Ntchisi, Mangochi and Mchinji.
