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We need accountability for drug distribution in hospitals - Ggoobi
The Permanent Secretary in the ministry of finance Mr Ramathan Ggoobi (L) chats with the NMS General manager, Mr Moses Kamabare. PHOTO/ PAUL ADUDE
The Permanent Secretary and secretary to the Treasury in the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Mr Ramathan Ggoobi has said there is need for accountability in the distribution of drugs to patients in government health facilities.
“I want National Medical Stores and its partners to concretise the area of accountability for the supplies which get out of this place (National Medical Store). NMS procures and delivers, that’s all, I would want them to be involved in finding out where their deliveries have gone, done, that’s the accountability,” he said.
Mr Ggoobi made the remarks after visiting the NMS facilities in Kajjansi Town council and Entebbe municipality with directors from the finance ministry over the weekend.
“They have told me their job is to deliver, make sure all the deliveries are confirmed and that’s all. I’m not satisfied with that. I would want to see other stakeholders responsible for the drugs after their delivery account for them before another consignment is delivered to those facilities,” he said.
Mr Ggoobi said the accountability made at health facilities will address the gap leading to loss of medicines after the NMS deliveries to government health facilities.
“We are going to sit in one room with all stakeholders, agree on how we are going to ensure accountability with results on the ground as far as the medical supplies are concerned,” he said.
The deputy treasury, Mr Patrick Ochailap said the ministry now wants feedback from the health centres of the medical supplies they have received and how they have been used.
“If you pick an example of mama kits, it’s supposed to encourage mothers to go and deliver in the health centre’s, what we have heard from NMS is that they have delivered over one million mama kits to health centre’s but the outcry out there is that they are not getting mama kits” he said.
Mr Ochailap without giving a particular name said there is a system that has been developed by a Ugandan which can report in real time the distribution of medical supplies at health facilities that the ministry wants to be incorporated in the NMS plus digital tracker delivery system.
“The system can report in real time from health centres to NMS. What has been delivered there, who has received it, confirming before the next delivery takes place, the first one was delivered and received. We want to complete the accountability, then come back to the money that has been used for procurement of those deliveries” he said.
The General manager NMS, Mr Moses Kamabare said currently their mandate is to buy, store, and distribute medicines.
“By mandate our role is to procure, store and deliver the drugs to the different government health facilities after delivery, responsibility for the drugs is out of our hands” he said.
