Blame Games? : NMS Blames Drug Shortage Crisis on Delayed Funds, Inadequate Budget, Ebola Distribution Activities

The Leader of Opposition in parliament Mathias Mpuuga has tasked parliament to investigate the drug stock outs in Government facilities, following a statement by the National Medical Stores (NMS) that they are not responsible for the shortage.

Addressing the media at Kalungu health centre, Mpuuga said that there is a debate about drug shortages in all Government health centers and in all his oversight tours, health workers, patients and local government leaders have complained about the same thing including late deliveries.

“In the public media, there is a debate about drug shortages in all health centres belonging to government. Yesterday, I saw our friends at National Medical Stores putting out a statement, not contradicting or contrasting our interim findings that have been public because these inquests have been in the public eye, we have listened to health workers, patients and Local Government leaders and there is a common thread about drug stock outs in all government health centers including late deliveries,” Mpuuga stated.

He noted that many health facilities missed supplies for four quarters in the last financial year 2022/2023.

“There is a big question, From my side and my team for people to miss supplies on four rounds meaning, for eight months you have moved without any medicines or supplies, that mothers will not have mama kits, that malaria patients will miss out, that mothers will miss out on basic drugs, so many problems, gloves will not be available in facilities for eight months,” Mpuuga averred.

He emphasized the need for Parliament to investigate and establish levels of culpability in what he describes as criminal negligence by Ministry of Finance and National Medical stores. The leader of opposition is currently on an oversight tour in greater Masaka.

National Medical Stores (NMS) is the Government Body with the statutory mandate of Warehousing and distributing Essential Medicines and Health Supplies (EMHS).

In a statement issued by NMS on Monday, the body Denied responsibility of the Drug Stock Outs claiming that the current non-adherence to the delivery schedules, and hence the stocks outs of EMHS in Government Health Facilities is a result of: Failure by NMS to timely receive funds for delivery of these EMHS, Inadequate budget amidst increase in distribution costs as a direct result of increase in fuel prices and Erosion of the available resources as a result of the Ebola Distribution activities for which no additional funds were provided.

‘’The issue of timely availability of funds for distribution of Essential Medicines and Health Supplies ((EMHS) has been raised by National Medical Stores (NMS) a number of times. Distribution of EMHS is a continuous activity which is based on a pre-determined schedule. For this to be achieved, it presupposes that funds for the distribution are readily available. This has not been the case, most especially at the beginning of the Financial Year; reads a statement from NMS.

Prior to FY 2009/10, Funds for Medicines and Medical Supplies once appropriated by Parliament, would be sent directly to the Health Facilities and Districts. NMS would then use its privately generated funds to procure, store and distribute Medicines and Medical Supplies to these facilities. It was later established, that the funds sent to the districts and health facilities for procurement of Medicines and Medical Supplies were in actual fact used for other purposes, leading to perennial stock outs of Medicines and Medical Supplies in Health Facilities. The few Medicines and Medical Supplies that were actually procured were easily stolen because they could not easily be differentiated from others in the private sector.

‘’As a solution to the above two problems it was agreed that: All funds appropriated by Parliament for procurement of Medicines and Medical Supplies in Government Health Facilities should be recentralized at NMS.NMS should ensure that all Medicines and Medical Supplies are uniquely Embossed to differentiate them from those in the private sector, to minimize theft of these medicines. To implement the above solutions, it was agreed that the Recentralized funds be made available by Parliament to NMS through a Recurrent Non- Wage Vote (Vote 116), effective the FY 2009/10. This would ensure that NMS maintains its flexibility and the Business Mode of operation given to ti under the NMS Act, and ultimately be able to effectively procure, store and distribute Medicines and Medical Supplies to Government Health Facilities’’, adds the statement.