Sigh of relief as health facilities receive drugs

A week after this publication reported about essential drug stock-outs in government hospitals, the general manager of the National Medical Stores (NMS), Mr Moses Kamabare, yesterday revealed that they had partly resumed distribution.

Mr Kamabare pegged the “full or sustained” distribution of the drugs to the availability of funds.
“We received the funds we had asked for and we immediately started delivering drugs to health facilities after Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja discussed the matter on the floor of Parliament,” he said by telephone yesterday.

He added: “Of course, we started the distribution late. They (drugs) will come late but they will come. Facilities should expect their drugs to keep coming as long as the system continues to give them funds the way we expect them to come.” 

Late last month, there was a public outcry from health facilities across the country about drug stock-outs, a scenario that saw some of the patients, who entirely depend on government drugs, miss between two and three cycles of supply.

Officials at the NDA, attributed the glitch to financial bottlenecks that had crippled its operations across the country this financial year.

Finance ministry on the spot
The Health Minister, Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, also blamed the lack of essential drugs in hospitals on the Finance ministry, which she accused of releasing limited funds to NDA despite an increase in distribution costs.

The drug shortage did not only lead to loss of lives, but also attracted the attention of legislators, and the Deputy Speaker, Mr Thomas Tayebwa, who accordingly directed the Prime Minister to hold an urgent meeting with the ministries of Finance and that of Health to address the issue.

In an October 3, 2022 letter, Mr Kamabare raised the red flag over shortage of funds to facilitate the distribution of drugs.

Monitor has established from district authorities and directors of regional referral hospitals spread across the country that NMS finally started delivering drugs last week.

On Tuesday, Mr Robert Ongom, the Omoro District health officer, said in an interview that the district received from NMS, a consignment of drugs but was quick to add that they were only for Level Four (Lalogi Health Centre IV).

In Gulu, Dr Kenneth Cana, the acting district health officer, confirmed that the district received drugs for all its health centres.

“For the lower facilities where we have had a lot of problems, it was until yesterday [Tuesday] when they (drugs) were brought and the distribution is planned to take off immediately.”

He stated that drugs for Gulu Regional Referral Hospital and health centre IVs across the district arrived earlier and had since been distributed.

In the West Nile region, stocks of drugs have started trickling into health facilities, according to health officials.

Dr Dominic Drametu, the Adjumani District health officer said: “What we received was for lower level health units for quarters 1 and 2 for the running financial year. That is why health facilities across the district have been grappling with acute drug stock-outs.”

He said his office is yet to verify information on the pending consignment of drugs for quarters 3 and 4, which is expected to be delivered next week.

Adjumani hospital medical superintendent, Dr Michael Ambaku, said the situation in the hospital is worrying because the facility has received drugs for only two cycles instead of four.

Dr Ambaku said notwithstanding the irregular supply of drugs and medical consumables, the hospital receives Shs426m each financial year for procuring drugs and medical consumables.

But Mr Rasul Drajiga, the Yumbe District assistant Chief Administrative Officer in-charge of health, said the district has received some consignment of drugs and other supplies from NMS.
“We are still waiting for the remaining balance so that we start distribution of the drugs and other supplies to the different health facilities,” he said.

However, in Koboko, the health department said they received laboratory supplies, ARVs, and Mama Kits, among others but not the essential drugs.

“After I tested positive for malaria at the facility, the health workers advised me to go and buy medicine in a private clinic. I spent about Shs70,000 on Artesonate for treating malaria,” Mr Mohammad Vuga said after failing to receive drugs at the facility yesterday.

Similarly in Moyo District, Mr Alfred Inyani, a resident of Madulu Village in Moyo Sub-county, whose child was admitted to Moyo General Hospital, said the situation of drug shortage has persisted. 

“The health workers just refer you to pharmacies outside the hospital to get the required drugs,” he said. 
Ms Margaret Tabua, a patient at Adjumani hospital, said she visited the facility after failing to get treatment at Pachara Health Centre II due to lack of drugs.

Whereas some districts in western Uganda have received drugs, many health facilities are yet to get any.
The Bunyangabu District health officer, Dr Richard Obeti, said the district received drug supplies for Cycle 1 and they were told to wait for drugs for cycles 3 and 4 to be delivered soon.

In Kabarole District, NMS delivered drugs last week, which were distributed to different health facilities.
The officer-in-charge of Bushenyi Health Centre IV, Mr Vian Namanya, said they had last received drugs from NMS in December last year.

The Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital director, Dr Celestine Barigye, could not confirm whether NMS has yet supplied drugs to the facility.

However, patients at the facility told this newspaper yesterday that they were still being referred to pharmacies outside the facility for drugs.

“Here, we buy everything, including paracetamol, gloves, and other essentials yet we hoped that since it is a government facility, it would help us during these hard economic times,” Mr Patrick Tumwesigye, who had taken his child for treatment at the facility, said.

The Kabale District health officer, Dr Gilbert Mateeka, said they were yet to receive drugs from NMS.
“Although we missed the October-December medical supply, we expect to be supplied mid-February. We are indeed experiencing drug shortage but we are not in a crisis,” Dr Mateeka said.

Some of the health facilities in Kabale District that were yet to receive supplies include Buhara H/C III, Kyanamira H/C III, Kaharo H/C III, Kamuganguzi H/C III, Butanda H/C IIII, Kasheregyenyi H/C III, Karujanga H/C III, Buramba H/C III, Kitooma H/C III, Bwama H/C III, Rubaya H/C IV, Maziba H/C IV and Kakomo H/C IV.

In Katakwi, the district health officer, Dr Simon Icumar Omeke, said the drug shortage crisis was a big problem, admitting that they had not received any drugs by Monday and that major health facilities in the district were doing without essential drugs.

He listed Ongongoja, Usuk, Palam, Ngariam, Kapujan, Okokorio and Magoro as some of the most affected health centres.

At Kilembe Mines Hospital in Kasese District, there has been no essential drugs at the facility since last December when the government directed NMS to stop supplying the health facility.

For the last 50 years, the health facility has been in operation under a tripartite management, including government, Kasese Catholic diocese and Kilembe Copper Mines Limited.
Currently, the facility does not receive drugs from the government.

Central region 

This newspaper also established that NMS was yet to supply drugs to several facilities in central Uganda. 
Dr Richard Bbosa, the Buikwe District medical officer, said they are expecting to get drugs for Kawolo Hospital this Friday, while other facilities in the district will be considered next Friday. 

“This time we are just waiting for our turn to receive our consignment,” he said.

Dr Margaret Nanozi, the Mpigi District medical officer, said they are yet to receive a clear distribution plan from NMS.
“Some facilities have some medicines to keep them running, while others completely have nothing. So, we are using a system of redistribution to help those that don’t have drugs at all,” she said.

Dr Charles Tumushime, the Masaka Regional Referral Hospital principal administrator, said they were yet to receive any medical supplies.

“We were last considered in [last] October and we are just waiting to see if some drugs will be delivered any time soon.”

In Rakai and Kyotera districts, officials said they were yet to receive drugs from government.
Dr Emmanuel Ssekyeru, the officer-in-charge of Kalisizo hospital in Kyotera District, said: “We don’t know when and what medicines will be delivered to us. We are only waiting despite the high demand from our residents,” he said. 

Compiled by Teddy Dokotho, Tobbias Jolly Owiny, Felix Ainebyoona, Milton Bandiho, Al Mahdi Ssenkabirwa, Diphas Kiguli, Brian Adams Kesiime, Felix Warom Okello, Robert Elema, Marko Taibot, Scovin Iceta, Rashul Adidi, Robert Muhereza, Emmanuel Arineitwe, Alex Ashaba, Simon Emwamu & Ambrose Musasizi