Poor procurement and management affects medicine supplies, PAC told

BY JOAN NICK
UPNG journalism student

Poor procurement and management of medical supplies has been a factor affecting the distribution of medical drugs in the country.
This is according to World Vision country director Heather MacLeod who appeared in the third session of the Public Accounts Committee inquiry into the Department of Health.
She said World Vision primarily focused on the prevention and treatment of tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS and has partnered with the Health Department in advocating for this activity.
“We see two key areas and those are in the area of funding and delayed procurement of drugs and the timely distribution,” Ms McLeod said.
She said Word Vision believed that accountability and transparency were foundational and they looked to the department to provide that. The main challenges are the systems and strengthening of processes involved in the procurement of the medical supplies, she said.
During the inquiry, World Vision also shared the challenges they faced in the supply of drugs, particularly for TB and HIV/AIDS.
“One of the challenges we have seen and heard from the Department of Health is the actual funding (from national government) coming through so that they could place the order and there have been examples where they have not been able to pay upfront that is needed to get the drugs into the country, so there is delays in it arriving,” Ms MacLeod said.
She said this created a gap in accessing the required TB and HIV drugs.
World Vision’s COP-HIV/AIDS team leader, Wilfred Sikukula gave an example saying: “We have a case that we recall clearly around March last year and the actual payment of the commodities (medical drugs for HIV and TB) requested were actually done towards the end of the year in 2018 and that was clear the example, leading up to the time when the commodities were needed and when they were actually paid for.”
Ms MacLeod presented before the committee, recommendations for improvement in the areas of funding to pay for the drugs, and the procurement as well as the distribution system.
She highlighted that there needed to be a tertiary level qualification of procurement and supply chain management in the country.