LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Some diabetes patients have expressed worrisome over expired drugs receiving at government referral Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH) in the capital Lilongwe arguing that their health have been deteriorating.
Over 20 affected patients told The Maravi Post over the weekend during year’s Community Against Diabetes & Hypertension (CADH) gate-together that the said drugs are resistant to pain.
Some disclosed that the moment the drugs are taken, their conditions worsen coupled with diarrhea, abdominal pain and coughing.
Solofina Banda of Area 23, in the city disclosed that the said drugs do not carry any due date adding are given many without prescription.
“I cough a lot when I take these drugs which when I stop taking them, I feel much better”, says Banda.
Gwaza Mbera of Chinsapo chips in, “Once I take this drug called Metaformin which I suspect is expired, I keep on vomiting and abdominal pains. We have been trying to raise the matter nurses at KCH clinic where we get these drugs, but no tangigle response till now”.
CADH’s Programs and Communications Coordinator Thomas Psyata confirmed receiving the reports saying the organization is working on it to authenticate the claims.
Malawi’s Ministry of Health Spokesperson Joshua Malango disputed the claims arguing that the reports are not true.
Malango said the ministry is in control of the Non-Communicable Disease (NCDs) at KCH clinic.
“This is not true. For items that are about to expire we issue enough to last before expiry. However, some patients have tendencies of coming with more than one health passport book on different dates just to get a lot of drugs that month to be used when the hospital run out of that drug. This could be one of the possible ways that they can have expired items at their homes,” says Malango.
CADH has always emphasized that Diabetes is expensive for the individual and family especially in rural areas because the cost of insulin injection and daily monitoring alone consume half of a family’s average disposable income.
Community Against Diabetes & Hypertension uses peer support groups model which proved that family support in diabetes care has substantial effect in improving health outcomes for people with diabetes.
The organization has over 30 groups of 100 people operating across the country without any donor.
This has made the organization failing to reach more people for help.
