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Kapiri Mposhi civil society hail govt.’s move on drugs
Kapiri Mposhi, July 18TH, 2013, ZANIS – The Civil Society in Kapiri Mposhi district says it has welcomed government’s intention to start branding all drugs and medical supplies meant for public health institutions.
The Society comprising mainly the Health base organisations say they welcome the move by government saying this was going to greatly in transperancy and accountability in the use of drugs in public health service institutions.
The stakeholders talked, such as Kapiri Mposhi District Network for Zambian People Living with HIV/AIDS (NZP+), chapter Coordinator, Gibson Bwalya says that branding of medical essentials meant for public health institutions in the country will greatly reduce pilfering of the drugs.
Mr. Bwalya has that once implemented the initiative will greatly reduce theft of medicines from government health institutions.
“ Most drugs and medical supplies meant for the poor people in government health institutions are stolen and sold in private surgeries and cannot be traced because of lack of distinctive features, “ he said.
ZANIS reports form Kapiri-Mposhi that the NZP+ chapter Coordinator said this in an interview on behalf of other organizations with similar concerns in the area.
He stated that thefts of drugs creates artificial shortages of medicines to treat patients from government health institutions.
“There is a lot of thefts of essential medicines such as Anti Retro Viral and other drugs even when government supplies enough sometimes we are told that there is a shortage … the consideration that these medicines are branded with certain features is long overdue and it is welcome to reduce thefts,” Mr. Bwalya said.
Government through the Ministry of Community Development, Mother and Child Health intends to start branding all its medical supplies’ packages for public health institutions with distinctive national features such as the court of arms.
Network for Zambian People Living with HIV/AIDS (NZP+), observed that once implemented the initiative will greatly reduce theft of medicines from government health institutions.
Kapiri Mposhi District NZP+ chapter Coordinator, Gibson Bwalya stated that most drugs and medical supplies meant for the poor people in government health institutions are stolen and sold in private surgeries and cannot be traced because of lack of distinctive features.
He stated that thefts of drugs creates artificial shortages of medicines to treat patients from government health institutions.
“There is a lot of thefts of essential medicines such as Anti Retro Viral and other drugs even when government supplies enough sometimes we are told that there is a shortage … the consideration that these medicines are branded with certain features is long overdue and it is welcome to reduce thefts,” Mr. Bwalya said.
And Street Children Orphans and Widows Association (SCOWA) district Coordinator, Lizzie Mbwili said the move will improve accountability and monitoring in the use of drugs in public health institutions.
However, Mrs. Mbwili has called for computerization of the monitoring mechanisms of the medical supply system in Zambia.
She urged government to introduce the Smart Care System of accessing medicines.
“Branding will to some extent improve accountability but it will definitely not entirely eliminate the problem we need to have an enhanced and computerized system in this sector such the smart care system … that way we will be assured of giving drugs to the intended people and in correct doses,” Mrs. Mbwili said.
Mrs. Mbwili noted that pilfering of drugs and medical essentials from public health institutions was negating the effective delivery of health services to the people in most parts of the country.
She also welcomed the government’s planned move to decentralize the operations of the Medical Stores.
Mrs. Mbwili noted that the initiative will ensure availability of medicines in public health institutions situated in far flung areas.
