By Brenda Kayo:
The Health Committee of Parliament has launched an investigation into the alleged theft of medicines from public hospitals and weaknesses in the country’s drug distribution system amid concerns over critically low medicine availability in health facilities.
Committee chairperson Anthony Masamba said the lawmakers had gathered sufficient evidence indicating that medicines were being stolen from public hospitals.
Masamba said the investigation would establish the extent of the alleged theft, identify those responsible and uncover weaknesses in the systems meant to ensure medicines reach patients.
He added that medicine availability in hospitals stood at 41 percent, while the stock-out rate was 75 percent.
“Major referral hospitals across the country are reportedly operating at just 18 percent medicine availability. This further highlights the challenges facing the public healthcare system,” Masamba said.
He said the committee would summon key stakeholders in the health sector to help establish the causes of medicine shortages and the alleged theft.
Those expected to appear before the committee include government officials, pharmaceutical suppliers, the Inspector General of Police and the Anti-Corruption Bureau.
Masamba said the investigation would examine weaknesses in the medicine supply chain, pharmacy management, procurement and tendering procedures as well as gaps in the laws and regulations governing the sector.
He said the committee had raised concerns that some individuals were supplying medicines to pharmacies that did not exist.
“Such practices, if established, could point to serious loopholes in the procurement and distribution of medicines, potentially allowing public resources intended for patient care to be diverted or misused,” he said.
The committee is also examining concerns about the transportation and delivery of medicines to public hospitals, including reports that some trucks assigned to distribute supplies may not be fulfilling their intended duties.
Meanwhile, health rights activist Maziko Matemba has welcomed the inquiry, saying it would help establish the root causes of the problem.
“It will also identify gaps in the supply and distribution of medicines in public hospitals,” Matemba said.