By SIMON MUNTEMBA
THE supply chain system of medicines was hijacked by the middlemen who made the cost of medicines, extremely high, Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary for Administration, George Magwende has said.
Speaking when he appeared before the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Dr Magwende said the procurement system had been hijacked by the middlemen who make the cost of these medicines unacceptably high.
This was after Chadiza Member of Parliament (MP) Jonathan Daka asked him as controlling officer why patients were regularly given prescriptions at hospitals and clinics when the ministry was adequately funded in the budget.
Dr Magwende, who acknowledged the trend, said the issuance of prescriptions only was deeply regretted.
He explained that one of the reasons was shortages of medicines due to pilfering and inadequate purchases of the required medicines in hospitals.
The Ps added that there was shortages of medicines in hospitals because of misplaced priorities in the purchasing profiles of the type of medicines required.
The other main reason, he said, is that the procurement of these medicines, notwithstanding, the budget and money allocated, had been hijacked by the middlemen who make the cost of medicines unacceptably high.
Asked what his office was doing to ensure that quality health services were delivered to the patients, Dr Magwende said he would make sure that bad elements in the health sector were removed.
“I assure you that I come with a strong whip. I will crack the whip against those not offering quality work. I will take a lot of restructuring and reforms,” he said.
Meanwhile, PAC Chairperson Warren Mwamba advised the PS to strictly adhere to guidelines on the administering of public funds.
