Minister defends Medical Stores Department

Dar es Salaam.  Health Minister Ummy Mwalimu on Monday defended the monopoly of the Medical Stores Department (MSD).

The minister said the agency must remain the country’s sole authority for procuring and supplying medical supplies, instead of creating “competing agencies” in the distribution chain.

She said a commissioned study saw no need for the government to allow an alternative supplier of drugs and medical supplies in the country.

The Minister’s stance on MSD comes barely two weeks after a health advocacy NGO, Sikika, proposed that procurement of drugs for public health facilities be decentralised to allow for more efficiency. Sikika proposals, seen by The Citizen, did not call for the creation of competing drug agencies but suggested that the budgets for medicines and medical equipment be sent directly to public health facilities and not to MSD as it is currently done.

Sikika alleges it has technical abilities to track drugs supply using both MSD’s own logistical chain and stockpiles of public health facilities and has repeatedly sent alert over acute shortages of essential drugs, inadequate and untimely disbursement of funds to MSD. Ms Mwalimu, however, has made a point to quash Sikika’s assertions.