By Bahle Gama
The Ministry of Health has been questioned about not utilising the E86 million that was appropriated and released by Parliament for purchasing drugs, which could have prevented the shortage which nearly shook the whole country to a standstill.
This was raised during the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on the second day of its sitting in parliament on Wednesday.
The audit of the acquisition and distribution of medicines to public health facilities by the Office of the Auditor General revealed that the ministry had an under-expenditure of E86 million for drug purchases.
Members of Parliament expressed their dismay over the ministry’s conduct in this regard and demanded answers.
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Matsanjeni MP Sabelo Ndlangamandla asked the ministry whether it is aware that the lives of emaSwati solely depend on it.
“I’m looking at the under-expenditure and it clearly shows that the ministry has immensely contributed to the loss of emaSwati because for the longest time, they were complaining about the unavailability of drugs, yet there is E86 million meant to address that which is untouched,” Ndlangamandla said.
He questioned what the ministry is doing to rectify this mistake and ensure that it does not repeat itself in the future, effective this year.
Ndlangamandla was echoed by Khubuta MP Masiphula Mamba who said he noted the technicality in the audit revealing the under-utilised E86 million.
“The ministry requested the money only for it not to be used. They are the ones who said they needed to purchase drugs for emaSwati.
Then what stopped the ministry from utilising the budget as requested by parliament,” he questioned.
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Mamba said had it been a case of overspending, the committee would understand that it was in the interest of the lives of emaSwati to avail drugs to them and ensure the shortage does not happen.
The ministry was questioned whether it acknowledged that the AG’s report is a public document that has left the nation baffled and disappointed due to the under-expenditure.
Central Medical Stores (CMS) Control Officer Thembi Gama said the under-expenditure is an issue of procurement, wherein orders were placed only for suppliers to delay making deliveries or not at all.
She said the procurement process is not at a responsive stage on the ground and believes that it needs to be strengthened.
“The way it is structured currently, it is very weak because there have been officers that were sent home. However, we have strengthened our relationship with suppliers to ensure they promptly respond to our orders,” she said.
Gama said the CMS is looking at a system that will enable the entity to have the funds for drugs directly sent to the CMS to ensure quick payment of orders without the strenuous process where the funds are sent to one administrator.
She further stated that there is a 90-day leap period in which suppliers tend to elapse resulting in the CMS having to start the order afresh or find another supplier depending on the situation.
“The government does not make payments for partial deliveries; either a supplier is delivering everything at once or they finish before they are paid.
Often some would cancel, and we would have to find another hence the under-expenditure,” Gama responded.
Gama was echoed by the PS who said there is also a paperwork issue birthed by the number of suppliers owed by the CMS, which took the ministry about two to three months to consolidate.
The PS said the issue of paper trail is important and needs to be tended to because it allows for departments to be accountable.
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“This has resulted in many opting not to make payments where there is missing paperwork because there must be a trail showing where the money went hence the under-expenditure.
Spending without the proper procedures is a problem we are trying to avoid as a ministry” Mabuza said.
The PS further acknowledged that the drug shortage was caused by a lack of a system.
However, a lot of improvement happened at CMS in that incoming stock is being properly cleared, and expired drugs are being accounted for.
