Medical suppliers want govt to revert to old system

Indigenous Medical and Surgical Suppliers Association (Imsesa) have asked government to revert to the old system of procuring drugs and other medical supplies to avert crisis in hospitals.

Government stopped the association members from supplying public health facilities, a situation the association has attributed to increasing reports of drug shortages.

“This will avert the drug shortages because supply time is short, prices are relatively lower, and it will save many lives,” said Levison Changole, chairperson of Southern Region at the end of their meeting on Friday.

Changole said the Southern Region Chapter on Monday met heir Central Region counterparts to engage government to reverse a decision which he said is hurting Malawians.

The association has recently complained that government has choked their businesses for failing to honour about K1.5 billion outstanding balances for medical and surgical supplies dating back to two years now.

The non-payment of their outstanding balances have compounded their woes after government through a circular dated July 2013 directed that the Central Medical Stores Trust (CMST) would be the sole supplier of drugs to district hospitals.

“This, therefore, means that in the event that an item is out of stock at CMST, it will be CMST’s responsibility to source that item from the private suppliers and not the DHOs [district health offices],” reads part of a letter signed by Local Government and Rural Development executive secretary Wezi Mjojo.

Last week, hospital workers at Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH) staff petitioned Parliament over worsening drug shortages.