Africa-Press – Tanzania. THE government has given until July 1, this year for private pharmacies to relocate away from public hospitals, a move aimed at curbing drug theft from the health facilities.
The Minister for Health, Ms Ummy Mwalimu issued the directive on Monday during her visit to the Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH) in Dar es Salaam, affirming that the government will not extend the July 1 deadline.
The minister’s order is in accordance with the previously issued guidelines on the establishment of private drugstores, including where to operate.
Among others, the guidelines issued in June 2020 provide that private pharmacies should be located not within 500 metres from public hospitals.
The government move comes in the wake of revelations that most of public hospitals lacked medicines because dishonest health staff sold drugs to nearby private pharmacies.
There are claims that some health workers, including doctors and nurses, often direct patients to the specific pharmacies where they should go and purchase the prescribed medicines.
The minister said the practice tarnished the image of public hospitals, recalling that the government had made major reforms in the health sector to ensure improved health services delivery across the country.
She noted that in the past five years the government has increased the budget for purchasing essential medicines, medical equipment and has enhanced provision of affordable medicines to the citizens.
Minister Mwalimu expressed optimism that the relocation of the private pharmacies away from public hospitals will help to curb loss of medicines in government’s hospitals.
During her visit at the country’s largest hospital, the minister had the opportunity to speak to citizens and hear their concerns over the challenges they face when seeking medical services.
In another development, the minister urged regional referral hospitals and health centres to improve their services so as to reduce the burden of a huge turn up of patients at Muhimbili.
“There are some cases that could be handled at the regional referral hospitals where there are also specialists,” she said, discouraging referring patients to Muhimbili from as far as Kigoma or Dodoma regions.
She called on health personnel to execute their duties with high integrity in order to resolve some shortfalls experienced in public hospitals.
The minister further emphasized on the need for improving customer care in health facilities, insisting providing better services to citizens is among the government’s key objectives.
Ms Ummy noted that her ministry would ask President Samia Suluhu Hassan to endorse allocation of the funds for improving the MNH infrastructures to ensure the facility meets the needs of Tanzanians for the next 50 years.
She applauded the MNH management for their opinions and recommendations on reclaiming a land at the Jangwani area, where they plan to build a new structure for the hospital.
The minister expressed hopes the sixth-phase government, under President Samia, will consider their request.
On his part, MNH Executive Director Prof Lawrence Musseru said for the past five years there have been major changes at the hospital, including adding other operating rooms from 13 to 21, while wards in the pediatric unit have increased from one to four wards.
“We will continue to improve communication between patients and our health services providers as the hospital is still committed to improving services,” he said.
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