Health, Elderly and Children Minister Ummy Mwalimu, responding to a supplementary question by Ms Halima Mohammed (Special Seats-CUF), said: “We have received the concern of the honourable MP, we will work on it.” The legislator had sought to know the steps taken to address the problem, which the Controller and Auditor General (CAG) highlighted in his 2015/16 report
. Earlier, the Deputy Minister, Dr Hamisi Kigwangala said the warehouses were in high standard, with certification from the International Standards Organisation (ISO) which also evaluates their quality, annually.
“Let me speak authoritatively as Deputy Minister, our warehouses are of high standard, considering that drugs are high valuable goods that need extreme care,” said Dr Kigwangala, prompting the intervention of the Deputy Speaker, Dr Tulia Ackson, reminding him that the backbencher’s question was based on the CAG’s report, not mere assumptions. In the basic question, Mr George Lubeleje (Mpwapwa- CCM), decried the bureaucracy through which the government channels funds to MSD.
“Why does the government gives MSD money through the treasury instead of disbursing all the amount directly to the department to address the drug shortage,” he asked.
During this financial year, MSD has been allocated 251bn/- for drug purchases. Dr Kigwangala said the current system under the law requires that only the central government be receiving its share from the budget directly, not its agencies. He also dismissed claims that the country was in shortage of drugs in the public hospitals, saying currently the drugs availability stands at 84 per cent.
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