BY PHUMZILE NDLOVU
MBABANE – Good news!
The nation will be pleased to learn that monitoring and tracking measures have been put in place to try and manage the on-going shortage of drugs at public hospitals.
It is no secret that there has been an ongoing national crisis of drug shortages in hospitals. The Chairperson of the Cabinet Sub-Committee on the Health Crisis, Manqoba Khumalo, who is also the Minister of Commerce, Industry, and Trade, has revealed that they are working around the clock to ensure that there will be medication by the end of next month (January 2024).
Khumalo met with the subcommittee today at the Mbabane Government Hospital New Wing. He also reported that there has been progress in the matter of Central Medical Stores, as delivery vehicles are now at 80 per cent reinstallation of tracking devices and cameras.
He said, “Most of the suppliers have the drugs and materials available, but they are constrained because the government has owned them for some time. This includes oxygen suppliers, cleaning services, security services, and catering services shared by the minister.
According to Khumalo, the government has reached an agreement that the payment of suppliers must be prioritised where there is a budget. “We are happy to say that the Minister of Finance confirmed that the budget is available for most of the outstanding invoices, and that will then unlock the flow of medicines,” said Khumalo.
He concluded by saying, “We will be careful that, when the drugs start arriving, we use cars that have tracking devices and camera systems. So that those may be monitored and management reports done fully to prevent the disappearance of drugs.’’
