TGNP Mtandao 31/10/2014, PRESS RELEASE SHORTAGE OF MEDICINE AND OTHER MEDICAL SUPPLIES IN THE GOVERNMENT HEALTH FACILITIES TGNP Mtandao has been closely following up the recent reports of shortage of essential medicine and medical supplies in the public health facilities including hospitals, health centres and dispensaries in the country. This comes following a stop order of medical supplies by the Medical Stores Department (MSD) until the accumulated 90 Billion shillings debt is paid by the given health facilities. The reports indicate that the government of Tanzania through the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare owes MSD the dept, being the costs for the clearance, storage and distribution of medicine and other medical supplies. Failure to pay those costs has crippled the operation of MSD to the extent that in a short period the institution may fail to run its activities. It is also because of the same reason that the dept has led to the shortage of medicine and other medical supplies in the government health facilities and delay of procurement and distribution of the supplies among other challenges. This comes as a result of deficit budget in the health sector as caused by government failure to take purposeful action to prioritise the sector. For instance, in the the 2014/15 budget, the government allocated 77.5 Billion Shillings for procurement of medicine opposite to the 500 Billion Shillings requirement. Being the outcome, the situation has resulted to the unreliable service provision of services in many health facilities causing chaos to citizens who are indeed of services. The reports also indicate that Muhimbili National Hospital is as well affected due to 8 Billion Shillings dept it owes MSD. In response, the national hospital has raised medical costs up to 5,000 Shillings per day and 2,000 Shillings for everyday meals as a mechanism to find more funds to pay the dept. This situation in the health sector raises TGNP concern since many of those affected are women, children, disabled and elderly people most of whom with no resources and dependant on public health facilities. Most of the victims are ordinary citizens who cannot afford health services in the private health facilities. In addition, in the light of the fact that about 80% of Tanzanians do not have health insurance that could have enabled them access health services, a purposeful step is required to reverse the situation hence save the lives of many at stake. For quite some time, TGNP Mtandao has been in the front line in calling on the government for enough budget in compliance with the Abuja Declaration that 15 percent of the domestic income should be allocated in the health sector. Unfortunately Health sector was not fully prioritized in the 2014/15 budget like other sectors in the Big Results Now (BRN) programme. It is the failure to prioritise health sector that ranked Tanzania 135 in the list of 176 countries with worst conditions for maternal health. This is according to Save the Children State of the Worlds Mothers Report of 2013. TGNP Mtandao, as an organization that advocates for social justice especially for women, children, disabled and elderly people and other marginalized groups, believes that children and women are the major victims of the situation including pregnant women many of whom give birth in unfriendly environments in many public health institutions. Thus, we at TGNP Mtandao recommend the following; - The government through the ministry responsible to urgently take measures to abstain more harm to the citizens many of whom are poor living below one dollar a day. - The government to allocate enough budget for the health sector adhering to the gender issues (Gender Budgeting) in every fiscal year and ensure that the resources are properly utilized. - It is the appropriate time for the government to make sure that in the 2015/16 fiscal year, enough budget is directed to MSD to ensure efficient operation of this vital institution in future. - The health sectort to be in the list of the priority sectors as it is for the case of other sectors in the BRN. The budget should therefore reach 15% in compliance with the Abuja Declaration - Muhimbili National Hospital to urgently halt burdening the citizens with the MSD dept instead, the government should hold responsible those who were obliged to facilitate the collection of the funds Issued in Dar es Salaam by: Lilian Liundi, Ag. Executive Director TGNP Mtandao
Posted on: Mon, 03 Nov 2014 15:08:43 +0000