The health sector in Manica province, in central Mozambique, has sufficient medicines to supply the population through to December, according to Bonifácio Mulausse, manager of the Intermediate Medicines Warehouse in Chimoio, as reported by the Mozambique Information Agency (AIM).
The supplies comprise pharmaceuticals donated by the World Bank and surgical and medical materials provided by other partners supporting the health sector in the province.
Mulausse made the remarks on Thursday (24), calling on the population to strengthen vigilance and report any public officials involved in the theft or diversion of medicines from the National Health System (SNS).
"The province has received a sufficient quantity of medicines for the next three months. We will have drugs through to December, so we want to appeal to the population to remain vigilant and report any officials involved in the theft or diversion of medicines," he said.
Without disclosing the exact quantities received, Mulausse also called for the reporting of officials who advise patients to purchase medicines from private pharmacies or other sources, despite those medicines being available at public health facilities.
"The medicines exist in our health units. Therefore, a health worker cannot tell a patient to obtain medicines from the private sector or other sources. We discourage this type of behaviour because it does not reflect well on the sector. One cannot tell a patient to go and buy medicines at private institutions when those medicines are available in public pharmacies," he said.
Mulausse assured that all public health facilities in the province have sufficient medicines for the next three months, following a period of stockouts that affected the region in recent months.
"The country received a donation of medicines from the World Bank. Manica province received a share of those medicines, which are sufficient until December. We acknowledge that in recent months we experienced stockouts, but at this moment everything has been restored," he added.
The official also called on health professionals to make rational use of pharmaceuticals and surgical and medical materials, warning that some officials may attempt to divert resources intended for public health facilities.
"We do not condone this behaviour, because it makes no sense that, after we have supplied the health units, some health professionals claim there are no medicines. That would be a false allegation. Such cases must be immediately reported," he stressed.
Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/?p=547531
