By Victoria Kayeye
Various medical supplies and products at Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency (ZAMMSA) have expired due to over procurement while others are due to the change of treatment guidelines in Zambia.
Among the expired are essential drugs like Aminophylline, insulin, hydrogen peroxide, cloxacillin oral, eye drops and family planning pills microgynon.
This came to light when Minister of Health, Dr. Jonas Chanda visited ZAMMSA.
Dr. Chanda has expressed displeasure that medical supplies and products are going to waste when Hospitals do not have medicines and lab reagents.
He has warned that all the cartels that are sabotaging the government in the procurement system will be fished out.
Dr. Chanda has since directed management to submit to his office a comprehensive report on drugs that have expired and those that have been recalled and the amount involved by tomorrow morning.
Meanwhile, ZAMMSA Operations Manager, Rachael Muyoma says the delay in disposing off the expired products was due to lack of funds.
This makes very sad readings, this is at a time when alot of health centers don’t have medicines
People are continuously told to purchase their own drugs when they go to hospital – in the meantime drugs are expiring in warehouses. This has happened before in recent years and one of the reasons was the corrupt diversion of the drugs to private clinics – holding on to them while hospitals have nothing and the private clinics are saturated until they even expire (Greed)
This is very bad…and really bad….
This is unacceptable waste. Glad the ministry is on top of this issue. Get rid of those expired products. Thank you sir
Sunday Chanda, leave HH and explain this! Mutivensa ulesi mwe!
Another example of incompetence and recklessness under the leadership of Lazy Lungu and Dr Chilufya the thief
Another example of incompetence and recklessness under the leadership of Lazy Lungu and Dr Chilufya the th ief
My comment is awaiting moderation
So it has to take a minister to visit t the site …this is what I mean when I say merely reshuffles is not enough you need to overall the whole system and also follow on crooks like Chilufya and his PS with all their network in MOH.
They failed to dispose due to lack of funds,be serious
The issue of expired drugs is becoming more and more confusing…. Some time back Doctor Chilufya visited MSL warehouse and we were told on television that the medicines where all ok and reading available for distribution… How come today we have expired drugs instock yet hospitals do not have drugs??
someone was busy with announcement of covid 19 cases but grass was growing under his carpet.
Dr Chilufya was a cheat. These are the medicines he was exhibiting in the name of the dear leader.
Dr chanda is cleaning the system for sure
This is truly wastage of government resources.. where were the officers charge with the responsibility of looking after these medicines?? Didn’t they know that the drugs where expiring?? Why did they keep quite?? Put those people to book and charge the cost to their pensions
When Govt employs staff in various sectors, it does not segregate and so we also have disgruntled workers, holders, politically inclined characters and heavy hearted individuals who resist to abide by organizational processes. At a smaller scale we do have characters at hospital pharmacies who just want to hold on to drugs and orders patients to go and buy from drug stores.
When supervision at stock inventory fails, this is the result.
What’s the caliber of people do we have serving in these offices. Shame!
Investigate and discharge all characters involved, they were working against Government.
I can’t remember how many times “the no drugs in hospitals claims” was used at opposition rallies.
This is a sickening discovery. Many people have died because of a few !d!0+s in such an important office.
Fire ’em sick heads.
Dishonorable dishonest servants.
Well articulated This Thorn in the fresh. It is negligence and I don`t care attitude and political inclined notivated workers who perform badly to discredit our government. All those involved be fired without delays