Health Ministry clarifies Lupane drugs distribution

THE Ministry of Health and Child Care is mandated to deliver services to every community including medicines fairly regardless of activities taking place in those localities, a senior official said yesterday.

Dismissing the furore generated by the distribution of drugs to seven clinics in Lupane East where a by-election will be held early next month, Health and Child Care Permanent Secretary, Dr Agnes Mahomva, assured the general public, donors and technical partners that MOHCC teams were there to provide equitable and quality health care services, including medicines to all citizens regardless of any activities taking place in the communities served.

The clarification follows the circulation of a letter from the Ministry of Health and Child Care which has gone viral on social media creating concern about the communication's instruction to supply medicines to several clinics in the Lupane area.

In a statement, Dr Mahomva said the Ministry was mandated to deliver services to every community including medicines fairly regardless of activities taking place.

"A Ministry of Health and Child Care communication has gone viral on social media creating concern about the communication's instruction to supply medicines to several clinics in the Lupane area where there is a by-election campaign," she said.

"I would like to assure the general public, our donors and technical partners that our MOHCC teams are there to provide equitable and quality health care services, including medicines to all citizens regardless of any activities taking place in the communities served."

She said the Matabeleland North Provincial Medical Director and the Lupane District Medical Officer had been consulted and it was established that a usual drug supply chain management was working well for all clinics.

"The teams confirmed that the normal medicine supply chain management system was indeed working well for all clinics.

"In addition, the teams established that a NatPharm team was already on the ground doing its normal and routine quarterly medicines supply runs to the clinics in the district through the Ministry's recommended Zimbabwe Assisted Pull System (ZAPS)," said Dr Mahomva.

She said there was therefore no additional or extraordinary action needed as everything was done in accordance to regulations.

"Let me therefore once again reassure you, the public, our donors and technical partners that the MOHCC teams are there to simply do their work in a professional and efficient way guided by good governance principles and nothing else. This is done for the good of all Zimbabweans regardless of gender, creed or affiliation," Dr Mahomva added.

The Lupane East by-election will be held on August 3 after the seat fell vacant following the death of Zanu-PF MP, Sithembile Gumbo, in April due to injuries sustained in a road traffic accident.

The nine candidates who will contest in the election are Mbongeni Dube (Zanu-PF), Morgen Ndlovu (Labour Economists and African Democrats Party), Given Ncube (MDC-T), Dalumuzi Khumalo (MDC-Alliance), Nelson Mkandla (National Action Party), Andrew Tshaba (Mthwakazi Republic Party), Njabulo Sibanda (National Patriotic Front), Gezekile Mkhwebu (Zapu) and Alice Sibanda (National Constitutional Assembly).