GOVERNMENT has signed two-year framework contracts with local and foreign suppliers of medicines and has allayed fears that country will soon run out of drugs.
Deputy Minister of Health Chitalu Chilufya said in an interview yesterday that there is no imminent shortage of medicine in the country and people should not panic.
Dr Chilufya said Government, through the Ministry of Health, has signed two-year contracts with local and foreign suppliers for a consistent and uninterruptable supply of essential medicines.
He was reacting to media reports suggesting that Zambia will face a serious countrywide medicine crisis starting next month because suppliers have refused to send drugs to the Ministry of Health owing to debt.
“There is no looming shortage of medicine in the country, neither this year nor next year. Medical supplies in the country are stable and so people should not panic,” he said.
Dr Chilufya also said the ministry has 90,000 units of essential drugs in stock and 228 units of anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs, translating into supplies of over six months.
He said Government has prioritised accessibility to affordable medicine countrywide and will not allow any shortages.
Dr Chilufya also said Government is not in any serious debt that could lead to a shortage of medicine, because it pays 50 per-cent upfront for medical supplies.
He said when debt accrues, the ministry manages it by getting support from the Ministry of Finance through the annual budget.
Mr Minister go to ZWD Facebook and see pictures of UTH. If you fail to maintain the largest hospital in the country why should we trust you and your no vision boss, Edgar?
We need to look after our chiefs well.
Minister, the question is do we owe the suppliers $42 million? If yes why should they continue to supply us with essential drugs? so as long as we owe them, there is no guarantee that they cannot pull the plug on us.
..da chief has already pocketed da brown envelope…….what the minister is telling him is all irrelevant…
ask member of parliament mwimba malama why he stop runing a drugstore at his house in chelston near the chelston clinic.
So Dr Chilufya is saying MD for medical stores is lying.If he lied What are you doing about it.
It’s amazing this ability of politicians to tell a blatant lie with not even hint of a smile on their face.