Africa-Press – Mozambique. he Mozambican Health Ministry announced on Wednesday that it distributed across the country, over the last five months, medicines and other medical products budgeted at 9.4 billion meticais (147.1 million US dollars, at the current exchange rate).
According to the health minister, Ussene Isse, who was answering questions on the availability of medicines from deputies in the country’s parliament, the Assembly of the Republic, the medicines distributed are for the treatment of the most frequent diseases in the country and which cause the greatest concern for public health “namely diarrhoea, respiratory diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, tuberculosis, malaria, and HIV/AIDS. The medicines are distributed on a quarterly basis.”
The minister revealed that there are currently sufficient stocks of essential medicines for the next six months, “however, the sector is facing some restrictions in relation to medicines for the cardiovascular and nervous systems.”
“The missing items will be restocked in June and July”, he promised. “It is important to stress that for these items there are alternative formulations of the same medicine or other therapeutic options with the same medicinal functions”.
According to Isse, the Health Ministry will continue to track medicines through electronic systems “in order to stop the constant reports of theft of drugs and other medical equipment.”
“It means that the medicines that are going to enter Mozambique from now on will have a seal and this seal, when violated, is connected to an electronic system. It means that digitalization is going to bring revolution to the sector and will help us to control and know where the medicine is being sold or marketed”, he said.
As a result of the theft of medicines, the minister said, five health professionals have already been expelled from the National Health System. However, he did not mention the units or regions in which they were operating.
He also announced the acquisition and installation of a total of 100 ultrasound scanners and 29 fixed X-ray machines in various health facilities across the country.
“We are going to finish building seven new health units, namely the Mocímboa da Praia, Mueda, Meconta, and Mopeia district hospitals, in the northern province of Cabo Delgado; and the Nampula, Mavalane and José Macamo General Hospitals”, he said. (The latter two hospitals are both in Maputo City).
The minister also said that the government intends to hire, during the current year, 724 new health professionals.
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