Medicines worth 11.7bn/- expire at MSD

ANNE ROBI

THE Parliamentary Committee on Community Service yesterday expressed disappointment over the expiry of medicines worth 11.7bn/- at the Medical Stores Department (MSD) as public health facilities experience shortage.

Acting chair of the committee, Dr Raphael Chegeni, urged the government to set up a comprehensive system that would see a better control of medicines on supply from the MSD to health facilities.

He made the call in Dar es Salaam yesterday at a meeting with a local advocacy non-governmental organisation (NGO), Sikika, to discuss successes and challenges in the country’s health sector.

Dr Chegeni was commenting on a report presented by Sikika showing various challenges such as purchase and supply of medicines, budget deficits and unavailability of drugs in public health institutions.

According to Sikika, an Audit Report 2016 indicates that there was a stock of expired medicines worth 11.7bn/- at the MSD. Sikika’s Executive Director, Mr Irenei Kiria, asked the government to investigate the expired drugs as public health institutions face acute shortage of the medicines.

He said that the health sector faces many challenges that stem from irresponsibility and lack of accountability. “Government should come up with a collective plan to handle the sector,” he said.

According to the Sikika report, the health sector faces a shortage of 51 per cent of health personnel and that more than 5,000 dispensaries have no skilled workers.

The parliamentary committee urged government to fulfil its election promise of procuring ambulances for every health centre to help women and children in rural areas.