Babati to ensure enough drugs allocation

DEUS NGOWI in BABATI

BABATI Town Council is striving to cope with higher demand of drugs at health centres, in contrast to earlier estimates.

The council is faced with a challenge, in that people have been calling to health centres for medication, while there is a shortage of drugs, a problem that has reduced treatment efficacy and disturbing efforts of members of the improved Community Health Fund (iCHF).

Elderly patients and children under the age of five years at the centres are attended to free of charge. These patients, in accordance with the directives of the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, are given treatment free of charge.

Acting Babati Town Council Chief Medical Officer, Dr Pastor Mahendeka, said patients, including members of iCHF do fail to get drugs prescribed to them, a result that forces them to procure the drugs from a pharmacy.

Some patients have so far this year spent 30,000/- for medicines. Dr Mahendeka admits that there is a drugs shortage at the health centres, a problem he says the district is doing all it can to resolve. He said estimates were made earlier and according to a research carried out, drugs were supplied, only to fall short as demand suddenly, putting the life of many patients in risk.

“There is a huge number of patients who are attended to free of charge in our health centres and as such we have the elderly and children under the age of five years under special care free of charge.

“Now here come some iCHF members who have paid their annual contributions and after consultation with physicians, they get prescription but do not get the drugs at health centres, this is a problem and we are doing all we can to ensure availability of drugs at all health centres,” said Dr Mahendeka.

The new development was prompted by some residents of Malangi Village in Babati Town Council who complained about the shortage of drugs. The shortage had forced many patients to travel a distance of 10 kilometres to buy the prescribed medicine.

“We were motivated and agreed to join iCHF, but now we are not getting what we expected. At times we therefore have to go to other health centres to get treatment so at times we have to go and get treatment at other health centres,” says Ms Regina Joseph who uses an iCHF card.

In its improved system, CHF seeks to enable every member get quality service by choosing two health centres – a primary and a referral one. If they are not satisfied with the service, they have the option of changing centres every three months.