CLAIMS CMS WORKER SUSPENDED FOR REVEALING EXPIRED DRUGS

MBABANE – There are allegations that an employee of the Central Medical Stores (CMS) was suspended for ‘whistleblowing’.

The allegations came to light yesterday during the debate on the Ministry of Health Second Quarter report by the ministry’s House of Assembly Portfolio Committee. Somntongo Member of Parliament (MP), Sandile Nxumalo, in Parliament, demanded accountability from the Ministry of Health, as he purported a CMS official was suspended for revealing expired drugs to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

Nxumalo disclosed that the official was supposedly victimised before being suspended for the revelation. The PAC recently made a surprise visit to the CMS.  The PAC discovered that apart from the hundreds of millions worth of expired medical drugs, there were about E10 million of medical waste buckets, which were mistakenly ordered. The CMS staff failed to provide an explanation for the unnecessary procurement of the medical waste buckets much to the amazement of the PAC.

It was unclear how government ended up paying for the buckets, as some of the staff said the buckets were ordered by mistake, while others said it was a case of an oversupply by the supplier. The PAC’s visit was meant to verify the findings of the Office of the Auditor General (AG), Timothy Matsebula. According to Nxumalo, during their visit, the official in question allegedly disclosed information about expired drugs. He said as the PAC and portfolio committee, they had received information that the official was allegedly victimised after their visit.

Targeted

Adding, Nxumalo stated that the official was allegedly suspended thereafter. Nxumalo claimed the official was being unfairly targeted for revealing uncomfortable truths. The MP called for the immediate reinstatement of the suspended official. He went on to state that cancer patients in the country had signed a death sentence. He questioned what the Ministry of Health was doing to assist the cancer patients visiting health facilities. According to Nxumalo, the ministry cannot declare that it cannot assist some patients, as doing so would be tantamount to a death sentence. On the same note, Ngudzeni MP Charles Ndlovu asked the ministry on their interventions to address the drug shortages in the country.

Also, Kubuta MP Masiphula Mamba asked the ministry what they are doing to pay debts, including that of Phalala Fund. Mamba asked about the impact of the debts on the companies being owed and further urged the ministry to prioritise paying the debts to avoid disruption of the health system. Meanwhile, Kumethula Jabulani Simelane suggested that the ministry should approach Parliament for a loan bill to address the challenges faced by the health sector. Simelane also suggested arrests on the culprits involved in the disappearance of the drugs in health facilities and at CMS.

He said without holding individuals accountable for their actions, the issue of drugs shortage will not end. Meanwhile, the Minister of Health, Mduduzi Matsebula, is expected to submit written responses today at 2 pm.

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