Post by cjm on Jul 1, 2015 16:23:44 GMT
www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-07-01-groundup-theres-no-excuse-for-medicine-stockouts-minister-heres-the-proof/#.VZQR86GlgaY
GroundUp: There’s no excuse for medicine stockouts, Minister – here’s the proof
On Monday 29 June GroundUp received three identically labelled anonymous letters by mail containing detailed reports of stockouts in health care facilities in KwaZulu-Natal. The reports have been confirmed by an independent source as having come from the official systems of the various health care facilities. And staff at one hospital checked for GroundUp that some of the drugs listed were indeed out of stock.
The anonymously written cover letter said that it is true that some medicines are in short supply because of problems with supply by pharmaceutical companies. “But this is being used as a smokescreen to cover up the reason for the majority of stock-outs. The [KwaZulu-Natal medicine] depot is failing [clinics and hospitals] due to poor management and lack of knowledge of supply chain. Maintenance of stock levels at the depot, processing of orders, and distribution to its customers are the main reasons [for stockouts].”
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Minister Motsoaledi has equivocated on the primary reasons for public sector stockouts. In a statement on 24 May that took issue with the media’s reportage, Motsoaledi laid the blame for stockouts primarily with suppliers. For example, he said, “In this whole problem of drug supply all over the world is that we source these medicines from companies that are in business and their actions and decisions are not always based on the needs of patients but on what makes business sense.”
...
GroundUp: There’s no excuse for medicine stockouts, Minister – here’s the proof
On Monday 29 June GroundUp received three identically labelled anonymous letters by mail containing detailed reports of stockouts in health care facilities in KwaZulu-Natal. The reports have been confirmed by an independent source as having come from the official systems of the various health care facilities. And staff at one hospital checked for GroundUp that some of the drugs listed were indeed out of stock.
The anonymously written cover letter said that it is true that some medicines are in short supply because of problems with supply by pharmaceutical companies. “But this is being used as a smokescreen to cover up the reason for the majority of stock-outs. The [KwaZulu-Natal medicine] depot is failing [clinics and hospitals] due to poor management and lack of knowledge of supply chain. Maintenance of stock levels at the depot, processing of orders, and distribution to its customers are the main reasons [for stockouts].”
...
Minister Motsoaledi has equivocated on the primary reasons for public sector stockouts. In a statement on 24 May that took issue with the media’s reportage, Motsoaledi laid the blame for stockouts primarily with suppliers. For example, he said, “In this whole problem of drug supply all over the world is that we source these medicines from companies that are in business and their actions and decisions are not always based on the needs of patients but on what makes business sense.”
...