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N$12.6 million towards pharmaceutical forum for improved capacity for distribution.edited
N$12.6 million towards pharmaceutical forum for improved capacity for distribution.edited

Health ministry: N$12.6m for new trucks, wheelchairs

Elizabeth Joseph
Health minister Dr Kalumbi Shangula this week announced the procurement of four trucks and 420 wheelchairs – valued at N$10.6 million and N$2 million respectively - for the central medical stores (CMS).

The trucks will be used for the transportation and distribution of pharmaceuticals and clinical supplies across Namibia.

Shangula also officially opened the annual national pharmaceutical services forum. The supplies will be divided among 40 healthcare facilities on a six-weekly cycle countrywide.

According to him, regional medical stores and the facilities served directly by the CMS supply pharmaceuticals and clinical supplies to more than 350 healthcare facilities.

"Namibia operates a product-integrated pharmaceutical supply chain where the CMS, a division within the directorate of pharmaceutical services in the ministry, is responsible for the planning, storage and distribution of all pharmaceuticals and clinical supplies for use in all public health facilities in Namibia.

“Based on several benchmarking visits to countries in the region to assess the pharmaceutical and clinical supplies network, I can confidently say that Namibia's pharmaceutical and clinical supplies network is among a few of the best functional networks in the region.”

Ageing fleet

Shangula addressed challenges related to the increase in demand for services coupled with the ministry’s ageing fleet.

"The ministry decided to improve the delivery fleet's capacity through the procurement of these new trucks.

“One of the trucks was procured in 2021 and the latest three arrived in 2023. The total cost of these trucks is approximated at N$10.6 million. This cost is inclusive of the necessary modification to make the truck fit for the purpose," he added.

The health ministry was allocated N$9.6 billion of the 2023/2024 national budget.

"Before the procurement of the four trucks we are launching today, the fleet of distribution vehicles at CMS consisted of only five government-owned trucks.

“These trucks are aged and have high odometer readings. This not only makes the running costs of the fleet very high, but the aged fleet was also woefully insufficient to support an increased delivery frequency," Shangula said.

More work to do

The ministry admitted that there is a waiting list for wheelchairs, with 590 children and more than 1 200 adults across the country still on the list.

"This is a poignant reminder of the work that lies ahead. The current consignment consists of mostly adult-size wheelchairs. It is therefore important that the ministry expeditiously carry out the next round of procurement of wheelchairs, specifically for children," the minister said.

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Namibian Sun 2024-11-23

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