Is KCCA fleecing Ugandans on yellow fever vaccine?

KAMPALA. Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has been accused of ripping off Ugandans who seek the yellow fever vaccine.
The city authority denies the accusations and defends the fees for the vaccine as justified. So this begs the question: Is KCCA ripping off Ugandans?

The saga started after KCCA, a government entity, was accused by the National Medical Stores (NMS)of charging Shs100,000 for the vaccine it received free of charge. The NMS said it gave KCCA about 3,000 doses of the vaccine free of charge.
The saga deepened on Friday after NMS revealed that it procures each dose of the vaccine at Shs16,000 but KCCA charges at Shs73,000 for the vaccine alone, which raises to Shs100,000 with costs are included, a price considered inflated.
The city authority justifies the exorbitant price on account that it includes cost of syringes and gloves used to administer the injections.

However, this argument was shot down by Mr Moses Kamabare, the NMS general manager, who said they purchase a single dose of the vaccine at Shs16,000, which includes about 10 per cent of handling costs.
“The vaccine should not be more than Shs30,000. How many gloves and syringes does one need to use to administer the vaccine to a single patient?” Mr Kamabare asked.

The vaccine provides body immunity against yellow fever, a viral tropical disease transmitted by mosquitoes that affects kidneys and liver. The vaccine is mostly demanded by international travellers moving to high risk countries.
However, the demand for the vaccine shot up in Uganda after the Ministry of Health confirmed the outbreak of yellow fever in Masaka District last month.
The ministry also issued a travel advisory asking travellers from high risk countries to present yellow fever immunisation certificates upon entry at Entebbe International Airport in order to control further spread of the disease.

However, Mr Peter Kaujju, the KCCA spokesperson, insisted they would continue charging Shs100,000 to its clients at City Hall following surging numbers of those in need of the vaccine.
“We conducted a market survey which indicated Shs73,000 per dose from our private supplier was the cheapest,” Mr Kaujju said, adding that KCCA buys its vaccines from Laborex Uganda Limited, a pharmaceutical company.
He said they charge Shs100,000 due to additional costs incurred on purchasing vaccination certificates/cards, gloves and syringes used by their medical personnel to administer the vaccine.
However, when Sunday Monitor made a random spot check at Nasser Road where most of the printing takes place in Kampala, it was discovered that the card costs about Shs2,000 at a higher end to have it designed and printed.

A printer owner at Nasser Road, who declined to be named, said since KCCA purchases the cards in bulk, the cost could even be as low as Shs500 each.
Our probe also established that a 5mm syringe and a pair of surgical and disposable gloves used to administer the vaccine all combined cost less than Shs2,000.
At Friecca Pharmacy in Wadengeya, a pair of surgical gloves costs Shs1,000, disposable gloves Shs400 while the 5mm syringe costs Shs300. Thus the combined cost of the required items for administering a single dose of the vaccine does not go beyond Shs10,000.

Earlier on Thursday, the Minister of Primary Healthcare, Ms Sarah Opendi, also had criticised KCCA for charging fees on 3,000 doses it received free of charge from NMS.
“We have agreed that KCCA refunds the money to NMS by next week after it has acquired stock from its private suppliers. We are going to accredit more health facilities in border towns to offer the vaccine at a cost,” Ms Opendi said.

She also said KCCA has been asked to separate private services from other primary health services, known to be free at public health facilities.
The vaccine is currently offered at only four health facilities in the country, including KCCA, Norvik Hospital, Entebbe Airport clinic and The surgery.

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