President Jakaya Kikwete has ordered an immediate crackdown on private pharmacies illegally selling public drugs countrywide.
President Jakaya Kikwete
Mr Kikwete issued the order to Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to collaborate with Tanzania Police Force
to undertake a countrywide campaign against the owners of such
pharmacies because they are denying the majority of Tanzanians access to
drugs.
“I am ordering the ministry and the
police force to inspect private pharmacies and arrest those found to be
selling public medicines,” Kikwete said in a speech read on his behalf
by Minister for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Hussein Mwinyi during a
ceremony to inaugurate an ultra modern warehouse for drugs and medical
equipment.
The president said it is was
unacceptable that while the government struggled to buy expensive drugs
to treat the majority of the people, especially those in rural areas, a
few crooked people were illegally selling the same to private
pharmacies, which then sold it to the public.
“We cannot allow this to continue
happening because our people are suffering,” the president stressed
while attacking thieving public officials, who have denied majority of
taxpayers access to quality medical services.
He commended Dr Mwinyi and Medical
Stores Department (MSD) for implementing a government directive which
requires that drugs and medical equipment be supplied directly at
clinics and health centres instead of going through regional authorities
to curb losses.
The 6.4bn/- ultra-modern warehouse, two
Iveco refrigerated trucks, 26 walk in cold rooms, 26 generators and an
assortment of medical equipment were donated by Canadian, the United
States governments and American based Doctors for Africa not-for-profit
organization.
The Canadian government donated 4.5bn/-,
which financed purchase of the trucks and 32 cold rooms. Kikwete paid
tribute to Washington and Ottawa for continued support to the country’s
health sector, saying the donated equipment would go a long way to
ensure the government’s goal of quality health services for all was
realized.
US Ambassador to Tanzania, Alfonso
Leinhardt reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to support Dar es Salaam’s
health sector as part of efforts to ensure quality health services were
accessed by the majority of the people. Ambassador Leinhardt pointed out
that for quality health to be provided to the majority, the US
government supported a supply of cold chain through which drugs, medical
equipment were made available to people countrywide.
“This MSD modern warehouse is a vital
tool to help achieve better health services to all,” he said while
pledging that Washington would in the year provide over 70 million US
dollars to support HIV and AIDS treatment and care services but also
malaria control.
Earlier, acting Permanent Secretary at
MoHSW, Dr Donald Mbando said the 32 walk-incold room and other
facilities had increased the storage capacity for vaccines from 46,561
to 97,144 litres up to three months at both national and regional levels
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