• Release of K217 million to buy medical supplies and drugs in hospitals is a welcome move.
• It will help relieve the pressure that some hospitals.
• ZAMMSA must ensure that the money is used for the intended purpose.

Medical for Quality Healthcare in Zambia (MQHZ) has called on Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency (ZAMMSA) to ensure prudent use of the K217 million that government has released for procurement of drugs and medical supplies.
Speaking in an interview with Money FM News, Organization Director General Dr. Quince Mwabu said ZAMMSA must ensure that the money is used for the intended purpose.
Dr. Mwabu stated that once drugs and medical supplies are procured, the Agency should be checking the records and see to it that the medicine is going to the patients because in certain instances, some unscrupulous medical personnel end up taking the medicine and selling to the drug stores.
“We are appealing to ZAMMSA to make sure that they take the money to the right channel. This is the right time technocrats need to do their work, time has gone when the Minister used to put their hand when to buy drugs, now it is the responsibility of ZAMMSA to buy medicine and that is there responsibility now to be checking medicine in hospitals, to be checking the record and ensuring that this medicine is going to the patients.”
“Sometimes government can buy drugs and put the drugs in hospitals and clinics but the medicine end up going in the wrong hands. Some of the unscrupulous medical personnel end up taking the medicine and selling it to the drug stores so ZAMMSA have to make sure that once they supply this medicine in Clinics and hospitals, they have to make sure that they start monitoring,” Dr. Mwabu said.
He added that the organization wants to see people receiving quality health care services whenever they visit a health facility.
And Dr. Mwabu says the release of K217 million for drugs and medical supplies in hospitals and clinics will reduce the shortage of essential medicines in health facilities.
“The release of K217 million to buy medical supplies and drugs in hospitals is a welcome move at least it relieves the pressure that we have in some hospitals now. It might not be enough for now, but it will help to buy a few drugs that we are lacking in hospitals and clinics.
“It is difficult in these hospitals now because they are becoming like consultation centres, where you go and get prescriptions without getting the drugs and we have suffered for some years without having drugs in these hospitals,” he stated.
On Monday, Ministry of Finance and National Planning released K1.46 billion for social protection programmes of which K217 million is meant for purchase of drugs and medical supplies.