MSD finally releases medicines

Long overdue supply of medicines to public hospitals has finally begun across the country with several hospitals confirming consignments to last at least a month have been delivered.

Medical Store Department (MSD) officials
say they have ended their standoff that denied public hospitals medicines for months on end because the government has paid the state organ part of the owed 90bn/-.

MSD Public Relations officer, Benjamin Masanja   told The Guardian that they have received ‘some money’ from the government but did not offer any specifics even though sources place the amount at 50bn/-

Masanja took the opportunity to defend MSD arguing; “The public should know that the Department did not refuse to supply medicines to the hospitals but it failed to do so because it had no money and the hospitals had huge debts.”

“We failed to order or distribute drugs due to little capital as most of the public hospitals did not pay their debts on time,” he insisted.

Confirming the delivery of medicines, one of the hardest hit hospitals by the shortage crisis, Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH) says it received a delivery from MSD on Wednesday this week worth 200m/-.

However, MNH Public Relations Officer, Aminiel Aligaesha warned that the delivered drugs are expected to last only a month.

 “We will continue to receive the drugs as we have ordered, the public should not worry over shortage of medicines at the hospital anymore” he reassured wananchi.

When asked on the MSD debt, Aligaesha underscored that it is the government’s responsibility to pay it and not MNH, this despite the fact that only recently, the government ordered public hospitals to relinquish half of their monthly revenue to MSD.

Of recent months, shortage of medicines in the country reached a critical stage with public hospitals reporting stocks only for emergencies and even so, only enough to last but three weeks at most.

A survey carried out by The Guardian last week at various health facilities in Dar es Salaam established both admitted and outpatients were left stranded with nowhere to get their medicine prescriptions.

 Doctor in-charge at Sinza (Palestina) Hospital in Kinondoni District Benedict Luoga told this paper that the centre had only emergency stocks for complicated and critical cases.

On the other hand, an MNH doctor who volunteered information on condition of anonymity also said medicine shortage was dire and demanded immediate action.

“We simply prescribe the medicines only to have the patient learn the prescribed drugs are not in stock,” he said calling on the government to find a solution.

As the parliament sessions opened in Dodoma early this month  lawmakers demanded explanation from the government on emergency plans lined up to rescue lives of Tanzanians who are suffering due to the shortage of drugs in hospitals after the government’s failure to settle the 90bn/- it owes MSD.