MBABANE – The Central Medical Stores (CMS) has moved swiftly to distribute medicines to public health facilities across the country, beginning with the Hhohho Region.
This is in response to a directive issued by His Majesty King Mswati III in his recent Speech from the Throne, calling for an immediate end to drug shortages in health facilities.
Following the royal directive, CMS trucks were loaded with medicines and dispatched to clinics in Hhohho, marking the start of a region-by-region distribution programme aimed at restoring consistent availability of essential drugs in public hospitals and clinics.
The initiative is being implemented under the Ministry of Health through the CMS, which is responsible for procuring, storing and distributing medicines and medical supplies to government health facilities.
According to information from the Ministry of Health, deliveries commenced this week in the Hhohho Region, with four facilities – Nkomanzi Clinic, Nkhaba Clinic, Ngowane Clinic and Nyonyane Clinic – receiving consignments on the first day. The deliveries will continue throughout the week, covering additional facilities in the region before moving on to other parts of the country.
The medicines being distributed include drugs used to treat non-communicable diseases (NCDs), family planning commodities, anti-malaria medicines, tuberculosis treatment, general medicines and supplies, as well as laboratory commodities. Health officials said the selection of medicines prioritises conditions that require uninterrupted treatment and services considered critical at primary healthcare level.
The Ministry of Health stated that CMS has prioritised the processing of facility orders to ensure that all available stock is pushed out to health centres without delay. Pharmaceuticals, laboratory commodities and medical supplies currently in stock at CMS are being dispatched to facilities as part of an accelerated distribution effort.
Deliveries are being conducted on a weekly, regional basis. Other regions are expected to follow as part of the nationwide rollout aimed at stabilising medicine availability across the public health system.
The intensified distribution follows strong remarks by the King in which he acknowledged public frustration over persistent drug shortages. In his Speech from the Throne, the Monarch emphasised the link between health and national productivity, stressing that a healthy population is essential for development.
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