REGIONAL medical officers and managers at all medical facilities in the country have been tasked to monitor the movement of drugs and proper management of medical supplies in their respective facilities.
Medical experts who met here at the weekend passed a resolution that underscored the importance of government medical facilities embarking on regular and reliable electronic statistics on drug supply and management.
The new arrangement currently being practised in 13 regions of Tanzania Mainland has been cited as crucial in curbing embezzlement and reducing costs of medical services in the country.
Speaking to the ‘africa-press’ on the new development, a senior official responsible for pharmaceutical management, logistics and supply chain from the President Office, Regional Administration and Local Governments, Mathew Mganga, said medical facilities should now stick to reliable data on drugs supply and statistics unlike in the past.
“Timely submission of reports on drug supply and management is vital in reducing costs incurred in funding for medical services. We are set to make sure all regions are equipped to implement this ambitious arrangement,” he said.
He said the ministry is concluding procedures in making sure that all 26 regions of Tanzania Mainland are equipped with essential skills leading to electronic management of drug supply and logistics which include quality storage on data on received and released drugs.
Under the arrangement, it will now be mandatory for all managers in all health facilities to have access to electronic information on drugs for timely detection of drug shortage and getting rid of emergency requisition of drugs.
He mentioned the 13 regions already embarking on electronic data storage on drugs information as Dar es salaam, Coast, Morogoro, Iringa, Mtwara,Lindi, Kagera, Geita, Tabora, Simiyu,Kigoma, Njombe and Singida.
Mr Mganga said the other regions are set to implement the exercise from this month, citing them as Dodoma, Manyara, Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Tanga, Ruvuma, Mara, Mwanza, Katavi, Rukwa and Ruvuma.
Commenting on the matter, the Shinyanga Regional Medical Officer, Dr Rashid Mfaume, said drug availability in the region is over 95 percent and his office will deal strictly with those involved drug theft.
“We are set to involve security organs where needed to make sure drug thieves are booked and arraigned, as well as making sure financial audits are carried out regularly,” he said.
The workshop brought together experts from Mwanza, Mara, Simiyu and Shinyanga was facilitated by the Ariel Glaser Pediatric AIDS Healthcare Initiative (AGPAHI) and covered five main issues.
AGPAHI Program Coordinator on Pharmaceutical Management and Supply Chain Emilian Ng’wandu mentioned the main tabled items as regional involvement in improving supply chain management and government visualization in supply chain management.
Others were capacity building on the utilization and access of the Medical Stores Department (MSD) Customer Portal and Implementing Partners Involvement in the Supply Chain Management.
