The Maravi Post

BLANTYRE—Medical doctors in Malawi have asked Pres Joyce Banda’s administration to change the drug procurement system and cut out middlemen.

Speaking Monday during a meeting with Pres Banda at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe, the doctors, apart from blaming bureaucracy in government circles, said the use of middlemen in drug procurement process led to corruption and doubles costs of drugs.

They also observed that the devaluation of the local currency was hitting hard the health sector.

Dr. Ronald Mataya from Kamuzu Central Hospital urged the government to increase funding to the health sector.

“As someone who is involved in rating health services around the world, the centralized system is always the worst system of running a hospital. We should decentralize the administration of health services,” said Mataya.

Meanwhile, the Treasury released K1.1 billion for district hospitals to pay off debts to suppliers who withheld their products.

Pres Banda, who emphasized that she inherited the drug crisis, assured the doctors that government is working around the clock to end the problem, adding that international community has also responded to the shortage.

She said Britain is to give Malawi about $23 million (K8 billion) to buy emergency drugs.

European Union (EU) has also pledged undisclosed amount, said Banda, who accepted most of the proposals from the doctors.

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(c) The Maravi Post 2013

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