Medical supplies budget not enough, says Sikika

 Sikika Executive Director Irenei Kiria speaking to reporters in Dar es Salaam yesterday. PHOTO| EMMANUEL HERMAN 

By Frank Kimboy The Citizen Reporter

In Summary

“We are really concerned about how the deficit of more than Sh500 billion will be filled; we ask the government to review the budget and allocate more funds for purchasing of medicine and medical supplies to at least 80 per cent of the demand,” said Mr Kiria.

Dar es Salaam. Sikika, a non-governmental organisation advocating for better health services, has expressed its concern over the government decision to allocate only Sh37 billion in the 2015/2016 national budget for procuring medicines and medical supplies.

Speaking to reporters in Dar es Salaam yesterday, Sikika Executive Director Irenei Kiria said the currently the demand for medicines and medical equipment stand at Sh577 billion.

“We are really concerned about how the deficit of more than Sh500 billion will be filled; we ask the government to review the budget and allocate more funds for purchasing of medicine and medical supplies to at least 80 per cent of the demand,” said Mr Kiria.

According to the Sikika boss the trend shows that the allocation of funds for purchasing medicines and medical supply has been on the decrease for the past five financial years.

For example in 2011/2013 financial year the government set aside Sh123.4 billion, Sh80 billion was set aside the following year while in 2013/2014 Sh64 billion was set aside in the 2013/2014 financial year, according to Kiria.

The amount was increased to Sh70.5 billion in 2014/205 budget but only Sh23 billion has been disbursed with only one month left before the end of the current financial year, according to him.

“It is one thing to allocate money but it is another thing for the government to disburse funds accordingly; it is sad the government has been missing the target for the past five years in 2011/12 it missed by 48 per cent, in 2012/13 by 59 per cent, in 2013/14 by 91 per cent,” said Mr Kiria.

For that Mr Kiria urged parliamentarians to make sure that they hold the government accountable when Health and Social Welfare Minister Dr Seif Rashid tabled his budget tomorrow.

According to him if the government won’t increase funds for procuring medicines and medical supplies many Tanzanians, who can’t afford to purchase medicines from private hospital, will suffer the consequence.

Mr Kiria said the government plan to use revenues from the cost sharing to compliment the essential medicines and medical supplies will be impossible.

“Using of cost sharing revenues to cover the budget deficit will be impossible because there are various challenges which include unclear and outdated guidelines in utilization of cost sharing revenues,” said Mr Kiria.