16th January 2023
Sello Motseta
The Ministry of Health and Wellness today revealed that ‘tenderpreneurs’ had failed to honour GPO’s amounting to staggering P500 million worth of supplies for medical drugs and supplies in the current financial year exacerbating the shortage of drugs at health facilities around the country.
This was revealed by the Director of Health Inspectorate Seetso Seetso at Central Medical Stores today. However it appears no heads will roll despite the bungling of provision of drugs to health facilities around the country. It is very much a case of business as usual in the government enclave.
Officials say they now find themselves in a very dire situation, where Government develops short term interventions that can be deployed while working on the medium and long term interventions which it believes will ultimately bring these current challenges to an end.
“We have engaged Baylor College of Medicine to assist us get some of our most required medications quicker. I am happy to report that since my last address November, this collaboration with Baylor College of Medicine is bearing fruits. The first consignment of four (4) list items comprising mainly cancer medications to the tune of BWP1660740.00 has been received,” said Edwin Dikoloti, Minister of Health and Wellness.
He said, “The second batch of cancer medicines with 10 list items at a cost of ZAR 5,403, 840.00 is in order. The third (3rd) consignment sourced through IDA foundation comprising 65 line items with most commonly used antibiotics, hypertension, diabetes medicines and other commodities to the tune of USD 1, 475, 447, 65will be airfreighted from Netherlands this week and is expected before the end of January, 2023.”
According to officials the fourth (4th) consignment still through Baylor College of Medicine is through a company based in Canada called Apotex comprising13line items of critical cardiovascular medicines and antibiotics to the tune of USD1, 048, 665.00 will also come by air in the next two(2) weeks. We will also be receiving more medicines from IDA foundation by sea valued at USD1, 097,655, 45 by April, 2023 which will be our fifth(5th)consignment from Baylor College of Medicine.
UNICEF through a long standing agreement continues to assist Botswana with childhood vaccines and other medicines as need be. We are currently awaiting delivery of two (2) types of vaccines at a cost of USD 229 440.00 in the next two weeks.
In addition, procurement of four (4) types of vaccines at USD 1, 605, 520.60 is ongoing. The United Nations Office for Projects(UNOPS)supports the Ministry in sourcing TB medicines. Between September and November, a consignment worth USD28 890.02 was received.
Another consignment worthUSD38 849.76 is already at the airport under clearance.
Foreign missions have recently been asked to assist Government in connecting them with manufacturing companies that could provide country with much needed medicines. It is through this initiative that one company from India called Medwise was identified and it managed to successfully register 18productswith Botswana Medicines Regulatory Authority(BoMRA).
These products were ordered in October, 2022 to be manufactured for Botswana at a cost of USD 923, 610. 00. A part of this consignment will be air-freighted this week and will be received by the end of January, 2023. The rest will come by sea in the next 6-8 weeks. This consignment comprises a variety of products including antibiotics, painkillers and diabetic medicines.
The lead time between procurement and receipt of the medicines is also an issue in this regard.
“The challenge of availability of medicines is a global phenomenon. It is not unique to Botswana. There are however specific factors that make Botswana more vulnerable. The lack of pharmaceutical manufacturing locally means we import all our medical commodities,” said Dikoloti.
He said “This brings in issues of logistics and supply chain which were compounded by Covid-19 pandemic affecting not only the transportation of commodities but the actual production of pharmaceuticals. The global and individual country regulatory frameworks for exportation and importation of medical commodities are also barriers to be negotiated during procurement of medicines.”
As a long term strategy, CMS will be using local framework contracts to manage procurement of medical commodities. To date two (2) framework tenders have been awarded which contain critical medicines. The third(3rd)framework tender is at cooling period while some are in progress.
“My Ministry will closely monitor availability of medicines and if there are challenges these will be addressed in a timely manner including as alluded above the engagement of international aggregators. My ministry remains committed to ensure that the nation receive medications in our facilities as prescribed,” said Dikoloti.
Dikoloti mentioned a long exhaustive list of various drugs at various stages of the procurement process being procured for various local health facilities and indicated that greater decentralization will be implemented to allow local health facilities to order their own drugs.
Botswana Vaccine Institute(BVI) will also now be encouraged to transition into manufacturing drugs for humans given its success in developing drugs for animals especially livestock.
