Kase on drug supply issue

HEALTH secretary Pascoe Kase says medical supplies procurement, management and distribution have been an ongoing challenge for the department for many years.
“There are many reasons why medicines may not be available in some of our health facilities,” he said.
In response to criticisms from the National Doctors Association, Kase said drug shortage was not a new issue.
Kase said that shortage of medicine supplies were due to “poor planning and forecasting for medicine needs, due to lack of consumption data by health facilities, irregular and untimely releases of funds, delays in tenders and procurement processes, stealing of medicines, lack of timely ordering by health facilities, delays and untimely placing of orders by the department”.