New hospital pharmacy set to improve service delivery
Rumphi district director of health and social services Western Nyirenda says the new pharmacy building under construction at the district hospital will improve healthcare services.
In an interview on Monday, he said the facility will provide office space for staff and storage for bulky stocks.
“The facility will also enhance services in the paying section as at times patients are asked to buy medicines elsewhere because the hospital has no space for such stocks,” said Nyirenda.
buy drugs elsewhere
He said the paying section was established to help those who can pay to access all services at the facility.
“We hope that money realised from the paying section will be allocated back to the facility to serve the public,” said Nyirenda.
Nkhamanga Ward councillor Alfred Butao, who is also Rumphi District Council health and environment committee chairperson, said the facility will provide a conducive environment for drugs.
He said: “As you are aware, government supplies drugs to district hospitals after placing an order. Sometimes hospitals run out of drugs and it takes time to replenish the stocks.
“But with the new pharmacy, we will be able to stock drugs using money from the paying section.”
Rumphi resident Tiwonge Harawa commended the district council for constructing a new pharmacy at the district hospital.
“As the district’s population is growing, we need bigger structures to stock more drugs that can serve many patients,” he said.
The pharmacy is one of the projects being implemented under the World Bank-funded Governance to Enable Service Delivery Project in the district.
The other projects are two market shades, one each at Katowo and Phwezi, a police unit at Livingstonia and a teacher development centre at Old Salawe.
