Source: ‘Slow govt procurement worsening drugs shortage’ – DailyNews Live
Farayi Machamire 18 March 2017
HARARE – The health ministry has expressed concern over government’s
“slow” procurement system, which it said has become an obstacle in the
fight to curb drug shortages.
This comes as the ministry received $3,5 million Treasury bills in
September last year before floating a tender for the procurement of drugs,
but the process is yet to be completed.
“The tender process in this country is very slow,” Health deputy minister
Aldrin Musiiwa said on the side-lines of a Zimbabwe Diabetes Association
(ZDA) and Novartis International training workshop.
“For us in the medical field, we would have wanted a process where if we
have the money, we immediately procure medicines and then make them
available to the public,” he said.
“But naturally, as a government institution, there are regulations that
for a certain amount of money, it has to go through tender process which
sometimes can take months before we can procure the drugs.”
There are currently plans to establish an electronic procurement system
that would enhance the State procurement process in the country as well as
plug loopholes within the system.
Musiiwa’s remarks come as public health institutions are grappling with a
drugs shortage making desperate patients resort to private pharmacies
where prices are exorbitant.
“The rise of non-communicable diseases is an issue of concern in the
Health ministry that is why we already have a department of
non-communicable diseases,” he said.
“However, at the moment we have funding constrains. Our wish as a ministry
is that all those patients who are diabetic be able to collect medicines
from public health institutions.
“I have to be open with you, at the moment, we are constrained, and people
have had to get prescription from private pharmacies.”
Non-communicable diseases, including diabetes, are increasingly becoming
major silent killers.
Musiiwa said the Health ministry was working round the clock to combat
non-communicable diseases.
“There is now renewed focus on the non-communicable diseases,” he said.
“As ministry, we have bid for funding under the global fund…we have also
engaged Norvatis – one of the biggest producers of non-communicable drugs
– and they have agreed to lower the price of drugs to this country,” he
added.
ZDA president John Mangwiro added that the Association was assisting
government by scaling up prevention and surveillance of diabetes by
training health care workers.
Meanwhile, Musiiwa dismissed allegations that medicines for public health
institutions were being smuggled into private pharmacies.
“There is no interchange of drugs between the private and public
pharmacies.
“It’s purely a lack of stock in the public health institutions,” he said.
“A conflict of interest would only arise if medical staff in the public
health institution are allowed to own a private pharmacy . . . remember
this goes to tender as to who is the best to provide pharmaceutical
services and naturally, government medical staff and their relations are
excluded.”
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