SWAp, DHOs speak on Health Ministry scam

Some district health officers have indicated they would require a completely new set of Indoor Residual Sprayers (IRS) when the second round of indoor spraying campaign begins in October. On the other hand, members of the Health Sector Wide Approach, (SWAp) are waiting for an Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) report after Ministry of Health asked them to investigate how a tender to supply indoor residual spray equipment was awarded to Mulli Brothers, who ended up supplying wrong gear.

 “Donors, who provide direct financial support to the health sector, identified concerns in relation to procurement at the end of 2010. We are aware that the Ministry of Health reported the issue to the ACB, but we are not aware of any report yet from the bureau,” said DfID programme manager Andrew Massa. DfID is current SWAp chairperson. The wrong equipment supplied by Mulli Brothers adversely affected the IRS campaign aimed to fight malaria under the Malaria Control Programme. One of the heavily affected districts is Karonga where the district health officer (DHO) received 260 pumps and 160 of them require repairs. “A hundred of them would require minor maintenance, but 60 need total replacement,” said DHO Dr. Michael Kayange in an interview. “Most of them broke down during training and some during the exercise. The problem is that they procured wrong nozzles and even if we still used them, they didn’t do the job as required because they are not meant for wall spraying,” he added. His sentiments were echoed by Nkhata Bay district environmental officer Ojohn Mpoha, who said, “The type of pumps purchased were not durable and not meant for indoor spraying. Nkhata Bay received 210 pumps, but 139 of them are down. “Hundred were taken by Mulli Brothers for maintenance, 110 are with us, but 39 of them are not working.

 

They have faults. At least our friends in Nkhotakota have durable pumps,” he said. Nkhotakota and Salima were supplied pumps by Chemonics International during the IRS pilot phase. Nkhata Bay plans to start the second round of IRS on October 2 2012, ahead of the rains when malaria mosquitoes breed more. “We hope to have all pumps working by October 1; otherwise, it will be disaster,” he said. In Nsanje, DHO Dr. Medson Matchaya suggests that decentralising management of such health services as IRS would help curb procurement malaise like in the Mulli Tender. Karonga, Nkhata Bay, Mangochi, Chikhwawa and Nsanje received sprayers from a consignment supplied by Mulli Brothers in a K250 million deal currently being queried by donors.

 

 According to Health Ministry spokesperson Henry Chimbali, respective districts will pay for the repairs of the broken-down sprayers from their budget allocations. Malaria Control Program manager Doreen Ali acknowledged the pumps supplied were not according to specifications.