Govt secures US$1m for medical supplies

Source: Govt secures US$1m for medical supplies | The Herald March 14, 2019

Dr Moyo

Elita Chikwati Senior Reporter
GOVERNMENT has secured US$1 million for the procurement of essential medicines and equipment needed in public hospitals.

Health and Child Care Minister Dr Obadiah Moyo told The Herald yesterday that the ministry had also made arrangements with some companies to get medical supplies and pay through RTGs as part of efforts to ensure pharmacies are well stocked and medicines and surgical supplies are available.

This will also ensure doctors work in a conducive environment.

Dr Moyo dismissed claims of a strike by senior doctors at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals.

He said he met the doctors who raised concern mainly to do with lack of resources for use at the workplace.

“Doctors have not gone on strike as alleged by some circles of the media. Senior doctors are at work. We had a meeting with them and they raised their concerns that included shortages of surgical supplies.

“They do not have adequate supplies and said the number of cases that they can attend is reduced. I was happy to meet with them and they were also happy because they had met with their management at Parirenyatwa Hospital yesterday (Tuesday) where they had discussed issues regarding shortages of supplies, especially gloves. Surgeons indicated to management problems that they are facing and those can be resolved,” he said.

Dr Moyo said every health care worker should have ownership of the ministry.

“We have already set up various committees like a health assembly that includes consultants and all nursing staff. The health assembly has to meet on a continuous basis and come up with solutions to the problems within the ministry such as drug supply, equipment, medicines and working conditions.

“This is the approach that we are working on. We want everyone to work as one team. We have managed to secure from the Ministry of Finance US$1 million. We want to get a team of the end users to make determinations on what should be purchased,” he said.

Dr Moyo said there were concerns at Parirenyatwa Hospital that end users were not being consulted on what should be purchased.

He urged the concerned personnel to work with administrators so they buy appropriate and needed essentials especially during this time of foreign currency shortages.

Dr Moyo said the administrators will handle the money and get all the various players to choose what to buy.

“We are going to solve quite a lot of issues as a result of working together as a team. My office is open to everyone; health workers, clients and patients and anyone can come and present their problems”.

Dr Moyo said apart from the US$1 million, Government had made arrangements with a company that will bring medicines and surgical supplies with the ministry paying through RTGS.

“From the meeting we asked the doctors to go to NatPharm to assist with the adjudication. The company has a lot of products and once we have finalised the arrangement we will announce the items and quantities that will have been delivered to NatPharm,” he said.