Medicine shortage due to new system
Limpopo Health MEC, Phophi Ramathuba, has called for the old computer system to be reinstalled, as the new computer system, installed three months ago can not cope with the distribution of medication to hospitals and clinics.
POLOKWANE – Technical challenges in the new national procurement system have caused delays in the distribution of medication from the Limpopo provincial pharmaceutical depot to some hospitals and clinics.
Ramathuba said a department as critical as health should have tried and tested procurement avenues in place and has declared the shortage of medicine at provincial health facilities a disaster.
She says while the pharmaceutical depot in the province is fully stocked, hospitals and clinics are unable to order anything because the new system does not allow them to manually do so.
She said nobody wants to own up to these challenges and everyone is pointing the finger at someone else. “So for me, the solution is to stop the system, go manual and deliver the medicine. We want to see medicine in clinics,” she said.
Workers at the depot started using the new system in the beginning of June. Since then, they have delivered stock to 30 clinics and no hospitals while they have always delivered to 40 clinics and 10 hospitals per week out of the 478 clinics and 41 hospitals in the province. The province purchase around R1,5 billion of medicine per annum.
Since June some hospitals and clinics, especially in the rural areas, have been experiencing shortages of medication, including medication for chronic illnesses. Patients, unable to get medication, have traveled as far as Polokwane to seek medication at Rethabile Clinic.
Ramathuba said pharmacists from hospitals and clinics will assist, but she wants the problem resolved by the end of the week.
nelie@nmgroup.co.za
