By Wendy Mkandawire
An expert says the shortage of drugs in public hospitals is not new in Malawi, saying the problem has persisted because donors have been buying and financing the country’s health system, and their withdrawal has left gaps in the procurement of medicines.
The remarks come as public hospitals face a severe crisis, with the Central Medical Stores Trust (CMST) reporting that 75 percent of essential medicines are out of stock after failing to import drugs due to an US$18 million debt owed to suppliers.
According to reports, medicine availability across public health facilities has fallen from 51 percent in April to 40 percent in September, while central hospitals have dropped from 34 percent to 18 percent in the same period.
Another expert, health rights activist Dorothy Ngoma, has described the situation as a worrisome warning that poor Malawians in villages who cannot afford private pharmacies risk preventable deaths.
The Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) has called on the Parliamentary Committee on Health to act swiftly, noting that Malawi needs US$25 million annually to procure medicines and imports 80 percent of its drugs.
Committee Chairperson Antony Masamba confirmed receiving reports from District Health Officers and the CMST, admitting that rural communities will be the hardest hit but assuring that engagements with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Finance are underway.
