News / Health
Expired drugs discovered at Ingutsheni, Mpilo, UBH
05 Jun 2014 at 06:40hrs | Views
THREE major Bulawayo hospitals have lost drugs including antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) and medical devices worth millions of dollars which expired while being kept in storerooms at the institutions.
The state of affairs at Ingutsheni Central Hospital, United Bulawayo Hospitals and Mpilo Central Hospital came to light following a fact-finding mission by members of the Parliamentary Committee on Health and Child Care chaired by Dr Ruth Labode.
MPs raised serious concerns over the quantities of expired drugs that may reflect poor management of medicines at government hospitals yet management always complain about shortage of drugs and consumables.
They also expressed shock that hospital bosses were driving top of the range vehicles that they are leasing at high rates when the institutions they are heading are struggling to provide services due to limited resources.
When MPs visited Ingutsheni Central Hospital they saw expired drugs that were filled in a room that included Nifedipine capsules and Albendazole for children as well as medical devices like syringes and catheters.
At UBH, the storeroom in which expired drugs were stored had been cleared up and the drugs burnt amid allegations that the institution attempted to conceal evidence ahead of the committee's visit.
However, the fire had not destroyed all the drugs when lawmakers visited.
Members of the committee expressed disbelief at the sight of drugs being destroyed, some of which included ARVs which are in demand in the country, but were left to expire in questionable circumstances.
At Mpilo the committee was told that there was a room filled with expired drugs, but could not conduct an inspection due to lack of time.
MPs were told that the expired drugs were donated by the European Union.
Dr Labode said it was sad that even ARVs had been allowed to expire.
"We observed that a lot of drugs expired in the institutions and it is very sad. Our government at the present moment can't buy drugs because of budget constraints and the few we receive from donors are being allowed to expire in these hospitals," she said.
Dr Labode said there was need for close monitoring of the health institutions to ensure that proper drugs are received and are used on patients.
"The other thing is that the sisterhood is no longer there among these health institutions. In the past we would consult each other and send drugs where they were in demand before they expired," she said.
Zanu-PF legislator for Gokwe-Mapfungautsi Cde Miriam Makweya said reports that drugs were being stolen in the health institutions could be true due to lack of accountability seen in medicines expiring in storerooms.
"You have seen a fire and what remains of the supposed bulk of drugs are those that expired. But if truth be told, many drugs are being stolen and sold to private surgeries in town. So this is just a cover-up on the part of hospital bosses," said a nurse at UBH on condition of anonymity.
It emerged yesterday that all chief executive officers at the three government institutions are driving Mercedes Benz vehicles hired from CMED (Private) Limited at about $6,000 rental monthly and receiving fuel allocations of up to 420 litres a month.
Ingutsheni's Dr Leonard Mabhande, Mpilo's Dr Lawrence Mantiziba and UBH's Nonhlanhla Ndlovu are all driving the expensive cars.
Ndlovu, however, comes up top as she and her directors are getting cellphone allowances of between $100 and $600 a month.
Dr Labode, accompanied by six other legislators, were in Bulawayo on a fact-finding mission on the state of affairs at the state-run health institutions.
Today they will be visiting health centres in Umzingwane.
The state of affairs at Ingutsheni Central Hospital, United Bulawayo Hospitals and Mpilo Central Hospital came to light following a fact-finding mission by members of the Parliamentary Committee on Health and Child Care chaired by Dr Ruth Labode.
MPs raised serious concerns over the quantities of expired drugs that may reflect poor management of medicines at government hospitals yet management always complain about shortage of drugs and consumables.
They also expressed shock that hospital bosses were driving top of the range vehicles that they are leasing at high rates when the institutions they are heading are struggling to provide services due to limited resources.
When MPs visited Ingutsheni Central Hospital they saw expired drugs that were filled in a room that included Nifedipine capsules and Albendazole for children as well as medical devices like syringes and catheters.
At UBH, the storeroom in which expired drugs were stored had been cleared up and the drugs burnt amid allegations that the institution attempted to conceal evidence ahead of the committee's visit.
However, the fire had not destroyed all the drugs when lawmakers visited.
Members of the committee expressed disbelief at the sight of drugs being destroyed, some of which included ARVs which are in demand in the country, but were left to expire in questionable circumstances.
At Mpilo the committee was told that there was a room filled with expired drugs, but could not conduct an inspection due to lack of time.
MPs were told that the expired drugs were donated by the European Union.
Dr Labode said it was sad that even ARVs had been allowed to expire.
"We observed that a lot of drugs expired in the institutions and it is very sad. Our government at the present moment can't buy drugs because of budget constraints and the few we receive from donors are being allowed to expire in these hospitals," she said.
Dr Labode said there was need for close monitoring of the health institutions to ensure that proper drugs are received and are used on patients.
"The other thing is that the sisterhood is no longer there among these health institutions. In the past we would consult each other and send drugs where they were in demand before they expired," she said.
Zanu-PF legislator for Gokwe-Mapfungautsi Cde Miriam Makweya said reports that drugs were being stolen in the health institutions could be true due to lack of accountability seen in medicines expiring in storerooms.
"You have seen a fire and what remains of the supposed bulk of drugs are those that expired. But if truth be told, many drugs are being stolen and sold to private surgeries in town. So this is just a cover-up on the part of hospital bosses," said a nurse at UBH on condition of anonymity.
It emerged yesterday that all chief executive officers at the three government institutions are driving Mercedes Benz vehicles hired from CMED (Private) Limited at about $6,000 rental monthly and receiving fuel allocations of up to 420 litres a month.
Ingutsheni's Dr Leonard Mabhande, Mpilo's Dr Lawrence Mantiziba and UBH's Nonhlanhla Ndlovu are all driving the expensive cars.
Ndlovu, however, comes up top as she and her directors are getting cellphone allowances of between $100 and $600 a month.
Dr Labode, accompanied by six other legislators, were in Bulawayo on a fact-finding mission on the state of affairs at the state-run health institutions.
Today they will be visiting health centres in Umzingwane.
Source - Chronicle
