The Leader of Opposition in Parliament, Mathias Mpuuga has called for a special parliamentary inquest into the operations of the National Medical Stores (NMS) following several complaints from various healthcare facilities across the country regarding drug stock outs.
He says that the inquest should focus on the conduct of business in Ministry of Finance, National Medical Stores and their allies.
LOP Mpuuga made the statement during a press conference at Kalungu Health Centre on Monday 23rd July 2023.
The Leader of Opposition is currently on an oversight sight tour in greater Masaka, which tour follows several others in different parts of the country.
“In the public media, there is a debate about drug shortages in all health centres belonging to government. Yesterday, I saw our friends at National Medical Stores putting out a statement, not contradicting or contrasting our interim findings that have been public because these inquests have been in the public eye…we have listened to health workers, patients and Local Government leaders and there is a common thread about drug stock outs in all government health centres including late deliveries,” said LOP in part.
He added that his leadership is aware that in the last financial year 2022/2023, many health facilities missed four quarters of supplies.
“There is a big question. From my side and my team…for people to miss supplies on four rounds…meaning, for eight months you have moved without any medicines or supplies, that mothers will not have mama kits, that malaria patients will miss out, that mothers will miss out on basic drugs…so many problems…gloves will not be available in facilities for eight months,” LOP Mpuuga stated.
The LOP emphasized the need for Parliament to investigate and establish levels of culpability in what he describes as criminal negligence by Ministry of Finance and National Medical Stores.
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