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E250m needed for ideal stocks of drugs
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OVER E250 million is needed to satisfy the demand of drugs in clinics, health centres and hospitals in the country.
This by far surpasses the E50 million set aside at budgeting stage by the ministry of health annually, Minister of Health Benedict Xaba said.
He said such under budgeting ensured the country constantly suffered from non-availability of drugs at the hospitals, clinics and health centres.
“The costing and budgeting around the drugs resulted in the ministry failing to meet the demand of drugs at the health centres,” the minister said.
As a result, his ministry considers engaging public private partnership (PPP) programme to resolve the challenge around procurement and disbursement of drugs.
He was responding to queries from senators who were irked by reports of constant unavailability of drugs in hospitals and clinics when the minister had promised all was well.
In fact, some of the senators accused Minister Xaba of being reactionary and making a lot of promises when the situation on the ground was not as per his utterances.
Senator Thulile Msane termed shortage of drugs as an embarrassment to the country, noting it was particularly frustrating to them working in palliative care.
“I cannot comprehend how the country could run out of drugs and this is a total embarrassment,” she said.
She also sought to know from the health minister where Swaziland National AIDS Programme (SNAP) was as it had become silent on issues.
The senator also wanted to know whether essential drugs would be available to clinics in areas located in rural communities, such as Ezindwendweni.
Also complaining about the drugs shortage in hospitals was Senator Bhutana Dlamini.
He asked what strategies were in place to deal with this as it was abnormal for patients to die under the roof of hospitals, the excuse being unavailability of drugs.
Senator Ndileka Dlamini was particularly concerned about the welfare of patients at the mental health hospital in Manzini urging the minister to pay the facility a visit in order to see for himself the sorry sight there.
She was worried that patients on the road to recovery were mixed with those who were still ill.
Senator Thandi Shongwe asked if the ministry was aware circumcision had given men the false impression they could now engage in sex without a condom.
“We are exerting too much effort in urging men to circumcise; isn’t such effort not misdirected?” she said.
The health minister promised that awareness on circumcision was underway and first on the line were MPs who will undergo a three-day training on it, followed by traditional leadership (chiefs) as they were working with the communities who often posed questions to them regarding the programme.
This by far surpasses the E50 million set aside at budgeting stage by the ministry of health annually, Minister of Health Benedict Xaba said.
He said such under budgeting ensured the country constantly suffered from non-availability of drugs at the hospitals, clinics and health centres.
“The costing and budgeting around the drugs resulted in the ministry failing to meet the demand of drugs at the health centres,” the minister said.
As a result, his ministry considers engaging public private partnership (PPP) programme to resolve the challenge around procurement and disbursement of drugs.
He was responding to queries from senators who were irked by reports of constant unavailability of drugs in hospitals and clinics when the minister had promised all was well.
In fact, some of the senators accused Minister Xaba of being reactionary and making a lot of promises when the situation on the ground was not as per his utterances.
Senator Thulile Msane termed shortage of drugs as an embarrassment to the country, noting it was particularly frustrating to them working in palliative care.
“I cannot comprehend how the country could run out of drugs and this is a total embarrassment,” she said.
She also sought to know from the health minister where Swaziland National AIDS Programme (SNAP) was as it had become silent on issues.
The senator also wanted to know whether essential drugs would be available to clinics in areas located in rural communities, such as Ezindwendweni.
Also complaining about the drugs shortage in hospitals was Senator Bhutana Dlamini.
He asked what strategies were in place to deal with this as it was abnormal for patients to die under the roof of hospitals, the excuse being unavailability of drugs.
Senator Ndileka Dlamini was particularly concerned about the welfare of patients at the mental health hospital in Manzini urging the minister to pay the facility a visit in order to see for himself the sorry sight there.
She was worried that patients on the road to recovery were mixed with those who were still ill.
Senator Thandi Shongwe asked if the ministry was aware circumcision had given men the false impression they could now engage in sex without a condom.
“We are exerting too much effort in urging men to circumcise; isn’t such effort not misdirected?” she said.
The health minister promised that awareness on circumcision was underway and first on the line were MPs who will undergo a three-day training on it, followed by traditional leadership (chiefs) as they were working with the communities who often posed questions to them regarding the programme.
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