Health system not in crisis, Sir Puka says

HEALTH and HIV/AIDS Minister Sir Puka Temu says the country’s health system is not in crisis.
Sir Puka was responding to Ijivitari MP Richard Masere’s question in Parliament on the availability of medical drugs in the country.
He said medical supplies were being distributed to aid posts and rural health services.
“I want to assure our people that our health system is not in crisis because the government has provided sufficient funding,” Sir Puka said. “Because of the level of funding received from the 2018 budget, the total health system was appropriated with over K200 million for medical supplies.”
He gave an example of a common drug called chloramphenicol, an antibiotic for infection.
Sir Puka said as of Sunday, there were 11,740,000 chloramphenicols doses in all the area medical stores.
“For 18 months’ supply we normally require about 11,147,966 individual chloramphenicol items,” Sir Puka said. “That means that we have enough in stock, we have ordered another 3,975,000.
“When I say that important items are in stock, it means that somewhere in the system in the health facilities, chief executive officers are not ordering in time.
“I have records for the area medical store as of January 20.
“Another important drug is amoxicillin, in stock right now we have 18,237,600 of them and we require 17million for 18 months’ supply.
“Now with the new system called MSupply, each of the medical stores is communicating with the other.”
Sir Puka said hospitals and health centres were required to submit their orders every month but when they failed to do so, they lost the run.