MSD to open pharmacy in Mwanza City

DAILY NEWS Reporter in Mwanza

THE directive by President John Magufuli to Medical Stores Department (MSD) to open pharmacies at referral and zonal hospitals has started to bear fruits. The organisation’s new outlet -Sekoutoure will be opened soon in Mwanza City as preparations are progressing well, the MSD Zonal Manager Mr Byekwaso Tabura has said.

Mr Tabura was giving a brief report on the progress in the construction of the building to Mwanza Regional Administrative Secretary (RAS), Dr Faisa Issa and to the MSD Director General, Mr Laurean Bwanakunu, in Mwanza on Thursday.

They had visited the site to assess if the construction of the building was completed as per President Magufuli’s directives. He told the delegates that in one week time the construction work will be complete and the pharmacy which is expected to offer services to a total of 1,200 health facilities including regional and district hospitals, will be opened.

“The construction work is being done by MSD staffs as our contribution to society together with the help of Mwanza Regional Hospital Sekou Toure, “ he said.

He added that the building was constructed at a cost of 27m/- and the list of essential drugs is and they will be sold to government health facilities including regional and district hospitals. “We will be providing services throughout the day until 10 o’clock in the evening and if there is an emergency MSD will be ready to offer services anytime because we care for our customers,” he said.

The MSD Director General, Mr Lauren Bwanakunu, assured Lake zone residents that no drug will be stolen from health facilities and hospitals as MSD has embarked on engraving government emblems on tablets and so far 45 types have been branded while 80 percent of all drugs have got MSD label, so as to control theft of government drugs. “Our drugs are disbursed using electronic system.

If we find our medicine stolen from Ukerewe District and is being sold in Meatu District, we will know from which hospital the drugs were stolen,” he explained. He, however, said MSD still faces a budget deficit in discharging its duties, as it currently receives 80bn/- per year while demand is to get 577bn/- to enable all Tanzanians get medical drugs in their hospitals.

Mwanza Regional Administrative Secretary (RAS), Dr Faisah Issa said once received the Presidents directive on the construction of a pharmacy, they immediately communicated with MSD and he is happy to see it progressing well. “This is a wonderful shop compared to that recently opened in Dar es Salaam city (MNH). It will assist us in providing medical care in our region and district hospitals and will eliminate shortages of drugs in our region and other lake zone regions,” he said.

The Acting Mwanza Regional Medical Officer (RMO), Dr Rwakendera Onesmo, said once the shop is opened, it will address the challenge of patients waiting for medication. He, however, said the regional hospital, Sekou Toure, still faces a budget deficit, where in the fiscal year as from June to November, this year, received only 92m/- out of the authorised 143m/- by the government, where the requirement for the total budget to run the hospital per year is 996m/-

The Misungwi Legislator, Mr Richard Ndassa, thanked the government for its efforts in ensuring that a pharmacy is going to be opened in the Lake zone regions where he requested provision of other necessary equipment especially those linked to pregnant women.