MNH BUYS DRUGS FROM FACTORIES

THE Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH) has saved more than 800m/- after purchasing medical drugs and supplies directly from the manufacturers.

This is among the hospital's strategies to cut spending after it obtained a permit from the Tanzania Food and Drug Authority (TFDA). President John Magufuli recently stressed the government's commitment to continue purchasing medical drugs and supplies directly from the manufacturers.

MNH Head of Communications, Mr Aminiel Aligaesha, told the ‘Sunday News’ yesterday that the strategy, which was applied in the past six months, has yielded positive results as the facility has managed to save "such huge amount of money."

Mr Aligaesha said that the hospital managed to save 274m/- from the purchased drugs known as immunosuppressant from India.

He explained that the drugs were bought at 226m/- in India while they could cost 500m/- when purchased from within the country. Under the new strategy,3he said the hospital has also placed an order for sutures from the manufacturers at a cost of 321m/- , while it could cost 668m/- when purchased from within Tanzania.

He further explained that the national facility has also purchased 14 diathem machines from Germany which will be used in theatre rooms at a cost of 375m/- instead of 500m/- when purchased from within Tanzania.

The MNH spokesperson said that the hospital has also bought two sterilisation machines from German at 342m/- while it could cost more when bought from within the country.

He said that apart from cutting spending in purchasing medical drugs and supplies, the hospital has also refurbished the building which was used as an office by the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elders and Children at a cost of 312m/- under the supervision of the hospital’s infrastructure directorate instead of announcing a tender.

“The hospital has now opted to buy building materials direct from the manufacturers and do the rehabilitation work by using our own technicians. We have done so on the rehabilitation of offices for mental health doctors, the work which was completed in July, this year, at a cost of 65m/- while the physiotherapy building was rehabilitated at 30m/-,” Mr Aligaesha said.

The Medical Stores Department (MSD) Director General (DG), Mr Laurean Bwanakunu, said that the government’s move could help to save 15 per cent of the budget set aside for purchasing medicines and medical supplies.

The government has set aside 250bn/- in this financial year’s budget for buying medical drugs and supplies which is almost 10 times the previous budget which was 31bn/-. If such system was introduced earlier, that means the government could have saved 37bn/- from 250bn/-.

“When the medicines and medical supplies are bought from the middlemen the cost becomes high but when we order from the manufacturers we minimise the cost ,” Mr Bwanakunu said. He added: “The new system gives us room to negotiate.

It is easier to negotiate with manufacturers than suppliers, therefore there is a possibility of purchasing the medicines at lower prices from the manufacturers,” the DG explained.

Expounding further on the advantages of buying medicines direct from the manufacturers, Mr Bwanakunu said the new system guarantees safety of the products since they can be recalled in case of any problem.

“The safety of the product is very crucial as we are dealing with the health of the people. If we trade direct with manufacturers we are assured of their safety and if there will be any problem with the medicines, it is easier to recall the product, to identify the manufacturer and communicate directly instead of dealing with middlemen,” he noted.

The MSD boss said they plan to initiate pre-qualifying process next year to identify manufacturers all over the world so that it can be easy for them to press orders directly.

“If we know the manufacturers it will be easy to communicate with them directly. We are going to implement this next year,” he added. According to him, so far there are 21 manufacturing industries supplying medicines and medical supplies to the national medical store, two of them being Tanzania-based manufacturers.

The 21 manufacturers are supplying 85 per cent of the total requirements and the remaining is provided by middlemen, adding their plans to the coming financial year is to procure 100 per cent from manufacturers.

SOURCE: DAILY NEWS