Uganda’s Prime Minister Rt.Hon. Robinah Nabbanja has formulated an emergency committee to investigate circumstances under which essential drugs are out of stock in state owned health centers.
While giving an update during the plenary sitting on February 2nd, 2023, she observed that asides other issues, there are unaddressed logistical challenges, which have also worsened the state of affairs, leading to shortage of essential medicines in hospitals.
The emergency committee which comprises of ministers will probe if indeed it is financial problems in the Health Ministry ocassioned by inadequate financing from the Finance Ministry, that is complicating citizens’ access to essential medicines in government health centers, something that has led to the death of some nationals.
The committee will be chaired by government chief whip Hon. Denis Hamson Obua, and will encompass the Minister of Heath, Finance Minister, Executive Director for National Medical Stores (NMS) and the Executive Director for National Planning Authority (NPA)
PM Nabbanja said the committee has up to two weeks to investigate and come up with recommendations on how to tackle medicines acute shortage , which will be included in its report.
Hon. Nabbanja added that government has embarked on immediate distribution of essential medicines and medical supplies to public health centers, as the committee does its work. She said that this program will be fast tracked to ensure national coverage.
“I have instituted an inter-ministerial committee chaired by the government chief whip, comprising of ministries of finance, Ministry of Health, National Medical Stores and National Planning authority to look into issues in detail and report back within a week,” Nabbanja said.
She also spoke of the need to harmonise operations between the Finance Ministry and NMS, which falls under the Ministry of Health.
While chairing the sitting, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament Hon. Thomas Tayebwa tasked the Prime Minister to give a statement to the House on the progress of disbursement of medicines and medical supplies, within two weeks.
Hon. Tayebwa also advised legislators that as they go into recess to monitor Parish Development Model, they should use this chance to find out if there are medicines stocking gaps in health centers of their respective constituencies.
While appearimg before Parliament on February 1st, 2023, the Minister of Health Hon. Jane Ruth Acheng shockingly revealed that the continued stock-outs of essential medicines in government health facilities across the country stems from the meagre funds allocated to NMS, which is mandated to procure and stock these health centers with the required drugs.
This assertion was bitterly counteracted by the Minister of State for Finance, Planning and Economic Development Hon. Amos Lugolobi, who contended that NMS should stop putting the blame on the Finance Ministry, but look into inefficiences in its ranks.
Hon. Lugolobi revealed that NMS has over the years been allocated enough funds to cater for its budget, and that in the 2022/23 financial year, it was allocated more that UGX.350 billion, accounting for 61% of the funds it needs to effectively execute its mandates.
In a phone interview with this publication last week, Sheila Nduhukire, the NMS spokesperson, said the delays in the distribution of medicines have largely been as a result of lack of timely disbursement of funds by the Finance Ministry to NMS.
She revealed that the matter had been tabled before the Ministry and also expressed optimism that immidiate redress will be undertaken.
“We are confident that they will be resolved soon so that we can deliver the medicines as we have always done before,” Ndukukire said in a phone interview.
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