Scores of patients were on Tuesday sent back from Wenya Health Centre in Chitipa District and told to buy medicine from pharmacies due to shortage of essential medical drugs at the facility.
By the time we arrived at the facility, at least three girls from Wenya Secondary School, who were diagnosed with headache, stomachache and leg pains, were told that the health facility did not have painkillers in stock.
In an interview, Form Four student Mukile Sezi from Chitipa Boma, expressed frustration, saying the situation was worsened by the absence of a pharmacy at Wenya Trade Centre.
“I am going back to school because there is nothing I can do as I do not have money to buy the drugs,” she said.
Her counterpart Faith M’madi, whose parents live at Uliwa in Karonga District, was also not pleased with the development as the hospital failed to give her painkillers for the stomachache.
Another patient, Mervis Kayira said the situation is now lasting a month.
In a separate interview, Wenya Health Centre Management Committee chairperson Penjani Mughogho said after visiting the health facility’s pharmacy, he found that the hospital had indeed run out of essential painkillers such as Aspirin, Panadol and Bufen while antibiotics supply was at 15 percent.
“It is sad that the essential medical supplies are on its lowest level. Again, the road’s poor condition from Chitipa Boma to Wenya, about 100 kilometres away, delays transportation of medical drugs to the health centre,” he said.
But Chitipa district director of health and sanitation services Jollings Kasondo blamed medical staff for not communicating about the dire situation at the health facility.
“It could be due to logistical hiccups and communication breakdown otherwise we have enough supplies at the District Health Office,” he said
