Health ministry ‘committed’ to restoring medicine supply system

The health ministry says it is aware of mounting public frustration due to severe drug shortages, particularly of essential medicines.

“We understand that many people are unhappy with the current situation,” executive director Penda Ithindi said yesterday.

He stressed that the ministry is working tirelessly to restore the procurement system and build a new, more reliable supply system from the ground up.

“This is not a one-day activity, but we are committed to getting it right,” he said.

Going forward, the ministry is set to provide monthly updates to the public on the status of deliveries of pharmaceutical and clinical products.

Ithindi said the ministry will also report on measures being implemented to stabilise stock levels at public health facilities nationwide to a minimum of 80%.

The estimated service level currently stands at 60%.

In terms of current stock levels, health facilities nationwide are experiencing either shortages or no essential supplies, with the ministry therefore relying on emergency or direct procurement to meet short-term needs.

The service level is defined as the total quantity supplied as a percentage of the quantity ordered by health facilities nationwide.

In a statement issued late Sunday, Ithindi said various medicines and clinical supplies were received at the central medical stores between 27 April and 15 May.

This, he said, reflects additional supplies aimed at boosting national stock levels and addressing urgent needs.

Several suppliers have also confirmed that deliveries will continue in phases over the coming weeks based on production schedules and product availability.

For several key products, the ministry has already received stock equivalent to nine months of supply, Ithindi said.

In other cases, limited quantities based on supplier availability were purchased immediately to address urgent shortages.

Boosting supply security

The ministry said it has implemented several measures to address the continued urgent shortages of emergency and chronic medication.

These include the immediate procurement of essential supplies from local, regional and international markets to refill empty medicine shelves in the short term.

At the same time, emergency and targeted direct procurement of bulk supplies is being arranged for the long-term stabilisation of all essential medicines and clinical supplies.

Ithindi said joint procurement mechanisms will be used to take advantage of economies of scale and improved cost efficiency.

A combination of direct procurement from manufacturers and strategic intermediary partnerships will be used to ensure the availability of large volumes of stock, he explained.

Ithindi also referred to efforts to fast-track the registration and clearance of critical, high-quality medicines that urgently need to be authorised in Namibia.

Broadening network

Supplier and manufacturer networks, as well as the diversification of procurement channels, will also be expanded. He said the aim is to reduce the ministry’s dependence on a limited number of suppliers and minimise disruptions on the supply side.

Ithindi said bulk purchasing, forecasting systems and real-time inventory monitoring should improve planning and help maintain sufficient stock levels.

He also referred to interventions to be implemented when shortages are identified through supply chain monitoring.

“The management of supplies and redistribution systems is being strengthened to ensure that medicines are quickly distributed to facilities experiencing shortages,” Ithindi said.

National buffer stock capacity for essential medicines is also being increased to reduce the risk of future disruptions.

Ithindi said human capacity, risk management and logistics systems at the central medical stores are continuously being strengthened to improve efficiency in the receipt, storage and distribution of medicines nationwide.