A KZN Health Department report indicates that supply levels at various healthcare facilities are around 80%, the level at which the facilities must start ordering. File Picture: Independent Newspapers Archives
A report tabled by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health on stock levels of medication shows that the medication available at different healthcare facilities is in line with the department's supply norms.
The report indicates that supply levels at various healthcare facilities are around 80%, the level at which the facilities must start ordering.
The department revealed that the normal procedure is that when the stock reaches 80%, the management of the facilities must start ordering to ensure that when the stock reaches 60%, new stock has begun arriving, and the stock is not allowed to drop below 50%.
Department officials met with the members of the Health Portfolio Committee in the KZN Legislature on Tuesday for the second time in as many weeks following concerns that some facilities have run out of medication.
ActionSA has been a thorn in the side of the department, alleging that there are shortages of medicines at health facilities.
The report by the department on medicine availability stated that there was 89.4% availability among suppliers, 73.4% at depots, 83.3% at hospitals, and 89.8% at clinics. The overall medicine availability level in KwaZulu-Natal is at 88%.
Looking at supplies by district, it showed that hospitals in the ILembe district might be the only concern, as their stock is around 77%. UMgungundlovu is at 79%, and Amajuba is at 79%, while all the other districts are at 80% or above.
The department said it has stringent measures to monitor stock, which include the Stock Visibility Solution (SVS), a digital tool for monitoring stock levels linked to an analytic tool for a dashboard that assists with monitoring supplies of essential medicines and consumables, supporting end-to-end visibility for last-mile facilities, including clinics.
Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane stated that the department would not allow for a general and widespread shortage of medication, pointing out that despite the department's challenges, medication is the first thing they pay for.
She said that even in cases where stock is not paid for on time, that does not affect the delivery of medication because the payment issues are handled after the delivery has been made.
Simelane acknowledged that there have been instances where healthcare facilities are low on stock, but that is not due to a general shortage; rather, it is because the management of that facility has not been adequately ordering medication.
“In facilities where there are issues, it is because the management of the facility has not done its job. We do not have a medication problem in that facility, but a management problem,” she said.
Acting HOD of the department, Penny Msimango, revealed that they are sending teams across the province to assess the availability of medication.
She explained that stock levels at different healthcare facilities vary depending on the size of the population serviced by that facility and the usage of that medication. The intention is to balance out the supply and demand to avert any crises by moving excess stock from one facility to another where that stock is low.
Members of the committee expressed concern about the perception of the healthcare facility if they do not receive their medication.
“If a member of the public does not get medication, they will go out in public and say such and such facility is useless. I have had complaints from community members who have gone to a facility and not received contraceptives,” said one member.
Chairperson of the Health Portfolio Committee, Dr Imran Keeka, said: “We remain concerned about allegations of sabotage at a particular facility as well as mismanagement at the same facility not specific to medicine supply. We are committed to holding the MEC and her department to account and will continue our engagements until we are satisfied that the current situation is optimal.”
“The citizens of our province come first, and we remain open to receiving any of the matters they wish to raise with us directly, and this can be done through the legislature platforms which are public,” he said.
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