Govt dumps N$15m medicine at Kupferberg

The health ministry last week disposed of expired and damaged medicines worth around N$14.8 million at the Kupferberg landfill site, with the City of Windhoek saying the process was permitted due to ongoing maintenance on incineration equipment and under strict guidelines. City of Windhoek spokesperson Harold Akwenye clarified yesterday that while incineration and autoclaving remain the standard methods for treating medical waste, routine mechanical maintenance can occasionally disrupt the operation of the municipality&#039;s incinerator.“In such cases, and under emergency circumstances, medical waste generators may be authorised to dispose of certain categories of waste at the Kupferberg landfill,” Akwenye told Namibian Sun.He said the waste recently disposed of at the site was pharmaceutical – essentially chemical – and posed a relatively low public health risk compared with other types of medical waste, such as anatomical or blood-contaminated material.According to the ministry, the disposal of the expired medicines was authorised by the finance ministry, which funded the original purchases.This follows the circulation of videos obtained by Namibian Sun, showing medical products being burned.Health ministry executive director Penda Ithindi yesterday rejected claims that the medicines were worth close to N$65 million.“The total value of expired or damaged medicines approved for disposal across all four quarters of the 2024/25 financial year is approximately N$14 864 662 – not N$65 million as alleged,” Ithindi clarified in a written response on Monday.He stressed that the disposal process strictly complied with the Medicines and Related Substances Control Act, No. 13 of 2003, which outlines proper disposal procedures for expired or damaged pharmaceuticals.Akwenye also underlined that the “disposal process is subject to strict regulatory guidelines”.He added that the City works in close coordination with the health ministry “to ensure that all health-related waste entering the landfill has undergone the appropriate pre-treatment to eliminate public health and environmental risks. The landfill is also equipped to accommodate hazardous waste not treated.”Binned medicine The disposed medicines included insulin injection vials for the treatment of diabetes, Warfarin tablets used to prevent and treat blood clots, and TLE tablets, a combination antiretroviral (ARV) used in HIV treatment.Other discarded items included dexamethasone used to treat inflammation, colostomy products for stoma care, medication for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), injectable drugs and various clinical supplies.Ithindi attributed the expiry of the medicines to changes in clinical demand, revisions to treatment guidelines and low usage rates.He added that certain medicines were procured for emergency responses, including the Covid-19 pandemic and cholera outbreaks, and were no longer in use. In certain cases, the ministry incurred no financial loss, as the items were covered by stock protection guarantees, meaning expired stock was replaced by suppliers at no extra cost.He said Namibia’s medicine wastage rate remains within the World Health Organisation’s acceptable threshold of 3% per year.For the 2024/25 financial year, the ministry reported the following breakdown of expired medicines: N$4.1 million in the first quarter (0.23% of the annual budget), N$5 million in the second quarter (0.28%), N$4.4 million in the third quarter (0.25%) and N$1.1 million in the fourth quarter (0.07%).Explaining the procurement process, Ithindi said the ministry uses a pull-based distribution model, where health facilities request medicines based on their specific needs. When demand drops or treatment protocols change, some items move more slowly and risk expiring. He added that medicines cannot be discarded before their official expiry dates, which is why some donated products from previous years are only now being destroyed.– tuyeimo@nmh-hub.com.na

Govt dumps N$15m medicine at Kupferberg

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-01

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Govt dumps N$15m medicine at Kupferberg

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-01

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