Times Of Swaziland: DRUGS SHORTAGE: COPS QUESTION 8 CIVIL  SERVANTS

DRUGS SHORTAGE: COPS QUESTION 8 CIVIL  SERVANTS
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Stanley Khumalo on 13/12/2023 18:24:00


MANZINI – About Eight civil servants have reportedly been interviewed by the
police to date as part of investigations into the shortage of medical drugs in
public health facilities.
According to sources, following the call by the Prime Minister (PM), Russell
Dlamini, to the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) to intensify investigations
into any corrupt practice by service providers and government employees
throughout the entire supply chain of pharmaceuticals, with the intention to
punish offenders; eight people have been interviewed. It is worth noting that in
February 2023, the Auditor General (AG), Timothy Matsebula, presented his
Forensic Investigation Proposal and Audit of Acquisition, Distribution and
Management of Pharmaceuticals Report, where he stated that drugs worth E151.6
million were missing and or unaccounted for in public health facilities around
the country.
Budget
This is despite that in the past five years; the Ministry of Health was awarded
a budget of E12.66 billion. Conversely, the call to present information to the
police was also emphasised by the Director of Funduzi Forensic Services, Zakhele
Dlamini. Dlamini said people with information should assist government in
finding the root cause of the medical drugs and pharmaceutical supplies
shortage. He said this would assist the police in investigating the issue in
line with the forensic investigation done by his entity. Dlamini said by
registering information with the police, the ‘whistle-blowers’ would be
assisting in speeding up the investigations into the health crisis. He pleaded
with the nation to assist in bringing the issue to its finality. Dlamini said
his company was willing to assist in any manner regarding the investigation as
per their commitment to government.
Funduzi Forensic Services was recruited by government to conduct a forensic
investigation into the supply of medicines to public health facilities. The
sources shared that, the police had engaged with the eight civil servants and
others who were implicated, seeking information to establish their role in the
procurement of medical drugs and pharmaceutical supplies.
Questioned
It has been gathered that those who were interviewed were also questioned on
what they knew about what led to the shortage of medical drugs and
pharmaceutical supplies in public health facilities. One of the people
interviewed insinuated that the police had sought to establish the role she
played in the whole procurement process and the loopholes they supposed could
have been exploited. The sources stated that the investigation was headed by a
team specialising in organised crime. They claimed that more people were
expected to appear before the police so that the leak could be identified and
those accountable for any wrongdoing be taken to task.  The shortage of medical
drugs and pharmaceutical supplies was also a thorny issue during submissions by
the members of the People’s’ Parliament – Sibaya, which was commissioned
by His Majesty King Mswati III in October.
The public called for those responsible for the shortage of medical drugs and
pharmaceutical supplies to be arrested, as they were frustrating the health
infrastructure of the nation. Leading to the eight being interviewed, the
Manqoba Khumalo-led Health Crisis Sub-committee was shocked to learn that one of
the reasons that lead to the shortage of drugs in the country was unavailability
of E85 000. This amount was what the Central Medical Stores (CMS) needed to
service and/or renew a licence for its fleet management system, which included
closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras and tracking devices.
Informed
The sub-committee was informed that government had said it did not have a budget
to service and/or renew the licence. As such, the CMS team said the CCTV cameras
and tracking devices in their delivery trucks were not functional. The
sub-committee comprises of Minister of Health Mduduzi Matsebula, Minister of
Commerce, Industry and Trade, Minister of Labour and Social Security Khumalo,
Minister of Finance Neal Rijkenberg and Principal Secretary (PS) in the Ministry
of Health Khanyakwezwe Mabuza. They were tasked by Cabinet to address the
ongoing health crisis in the country and they visited the CMS warehouse in
Matsapha, to get a feel of the prevailing situation so that the committee can
make an informed decision.
Chief Police Information and Communication Officer Senior Superintendent
Phindile Vilakati confirmed that police were investigating the issue. However,
she could not divulge much as she said the investigation was ongoing and a
report would be availed once it was completed.