The ineffective Medical Supply Depot (MSD), which is responsible for distributing medication, causes patients to experience lengthy delays in collecting their prescriptions from the Gauteng hospitals and clinics. This is putting patients’ lives and health in danger.
This came to light during a recent meeting between the MSD and the Gauteng Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA). It is unacceptable that patients at hospitals and clinics for long periods, suffer without medication that can save their lives.
The Gauteng MEC for Health, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, admitted that there is a problem with the entity and has undertaken to provide better management oversight over the activities of the MSD
MSD is a trading entity of the Gauteng Department of Health responsible for effective and efficient procurement, quality testing, warehousing, and distribution of essential medicines. This includes ensuring that medicines are always available to all provincial health institutions. The entity reports directly to the Department of Health Head of Department (HOD).
The performance of this entity has been poor for some time, as highlighted in last year’s annual report. The report indicated that the target in terms of medicine availability was not met, that it could not pay its suppliers within the legislated 30 days, and that purchases were made without inviting competitive tenders.
In addition, historical irregular expenditure of R1.1 billion was noted due to the flouting of procurement policies and awarding irregular salary increases. Some of these findings may be seen as proxies for corruption.
The reasons presented for poor performance included a dilapidated building and a lack of modern systems to control warehousing and payments. Members of SCOPA took exception to these excuses and chastised the department for poor management and oversight.
The poor performance of this entity is not an outlier, as the same management weaknesses are detected in most of Gauteng’s departments and entities.
The Democratic Alliance Gauteng will be monitoring the turnaround strategy that the MEC has put in place for better oversight of this entity.
A DA-led Gauteng provincial government would immediately put a proper monitoring system in place to ensure that there are no delays in supplying medication to hospitals and clinics. Furthermore, systems will be put in place to ensure management weaknesses are corrected.
The DA will continue to press for public disclosure of which officials have failed lifestyle audits, and who should be speedily dismissed from their positions.