EZULWINI – Members of Parliament (MPs) are seeking clarity from the Ministry of Health regarding the repackaging and relabelling of medical supplies, as outlined in the Eswatini Medical Supplies Agency Bill.
During a workshop attended by MPs, health officials, and the Health Portfolio Committee, MP Tsembeni Magongo raised concerns about Section 6(b) of the proposed bill.
This section grants the new agency the power to ‘re-package and re-label medical supplies,’ which Magongo found confusing since products already come with their own manufacturer’s labels.
Director of Health, Dr Velephi Okello, clarified that as a small country, Eswatini often orders medical supplies in bulk.
The repackaging and relabelling process involves dividing these large bulk orders into smaller units to be distributed to specific clinics or health facilities.
This ensures that a clinic receives only the amount of a particular medicine, such as Panado, that it needs.
Dr Okello explained that the agency’s role is to track and monitor this process, ensuring that medical practitioners who repackage drugs into smaller packets or blister packs are properly supervised.
She emphasised that the agency will track the use of all medical supplies it distributes, requiring a report from every facility on how the drugs were used. “You cannot order drugs and not give a report on how these drugs were used,” she stated.
More Parliament stories available in our paper.
Leave a comment