Anglican, Catholic bishops laud Joint Medical Stores

Catholic and Protestant bishops have challenged the Joint Medical Stores (JMS) to maintain high standards when delivering medical supplies to faith-based health facilities across the country.
Started in 1979, JMS is jointly owned by the Catholic and Protestant medical bureau.
While touring the warehouse of JMS in Kampala on Tuesday, the bishops said they are impressed with the work of JMS.
Bishop Robert Muhiirwa, the chairperson of the health commission of the Uganda Episcopal Conference, said for the last 40 years, the Joint Medical Stores has made a huge contribution in distributing high quality medical supplies to Catholic and Protestant medical facilities across the country.
“One thing we appreciate about JMS is the efficiency with which they perform their duties. Things here are highly computerised. This is a big contribution the Church is making to the country in providing healthcare services to the population. For us we are really after quality, not just supplying,” Bishop Muhiirwa said.

Quality medicine
He added: “It has been 40 years of supplying best quality medicines and equipment nationwide, especially to our health facilities. When you compare with other health facilities you will find that they are not giving the best, but for us we are giving the best high quality and standardised medicines and equipment countrywide.”
Archbishop Stanley Ntagali, the head of Anglican Church in Uganda, said they are impressed with the work of the stores and pledged to continue supporting the team.
“They avail medicines to all our health centres in all our dioceses. We have hospitals and dispensaries and when they make orders medicine is delivered in time and this is a blessing,” he said.
Archbishop Ntagali urged government officials to imitate the good example and ensure adequate medicines and other supplies.
“I have heard with sadness that some of the medicines expire in district hospitals and health centres so we will continue to appeal to the government and those who are concerned to ensure that medicines do not expire and where there are no medicines, they should be supplied because many people die because they do not have access to medical care.”
Dr Bildard Baguma, the executive director of Joint Medical Stores, said JMS has ventured into manufacturing its own medicines and other supplies.
He said the Doctor’s Choice is already producing replenish plus (replenish+) supplement which is widely distributed in East Africa.
He said manufacturing their own supplies helps them address quality and pricing issues.
“First of all, if we are manufacturing, we should be able to control the quality of what we put on the market. We shall be able to sell them at more affordable prices, and we believe we shall be able to create employment for our own people.”
Dr Sam Orach, the executive secretary of Uganda Catholic Medical Bureau, said they work closely with other government agencies such as the National Drug Authority, the National Medical Stores and Ministry of Health to ensure they deliver the best quality of healthcare to the population.
Dr Orach, who sits on several boards and committees under ministry of Health representing the faith-based health institutions, said their close coordination helps in delivering quality services and ensuring that faith-based health facilities work as a unit.
“Both JMS and NMS serve Ugandans and we go there to ensure that all Ugandans are well-served. So we work closely with these government departments to provide medical services to our people,” he said.

About JMS

Joint Medical Store is a private-not-for profit non-governmental organisation, which was established in 1979 as a joint venture between the Uganda Catholic Medical Bureau and the Protestant Medical Bureau
Partnering with development partners, JMS lobbies, receives, manages and distributes inventory comprising of donor items such as ARVs, ACTs and laboratory reagents. .
JMS offers free installation, servicing and maintenance of all equipment purchased from JMS or any authorised JMS distributor.