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DRUGS SHORTAGE: COPS QUESTION 8 CIVIL SERVANTS

13/12/2023 18:24:00 Stanley Khumalo

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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.