Group criticises Malawi government on procurement of drugs

A grouping of concerned citizens has issued a statement blaming Malawi government through ministry of health for the shortage of drugs in hospitals due to procurement choices and suspected gratification.

The emergency drugs that were purportedly procured and paid for in advance last year by donors to UNICEF supposed to have been delivered by January 2007 were mostly undelivered by end of May affecting Malawians who some lost their lives.

The Ministry of Health floated a tender for pre qualification of suppliers for medical supplies for the next two years; the exercise was completed and pre-qualified suppliers were duly informed by August 2006.

The concerned citizens said government did not procure drugs through a tender process as the local suppliers who had just been pre-qualified were excluded from tendering opting for UNICEF who floated a tender outside the country.

Government assured that UNICEF was going to deliver the essential drugs timely but there was an extraordinary delay affecting lives being lost, prompting at attack from Concerned Citizens that there was no justification that the UN body would perform more efficiently than other suppliers.

The Concerned Citizens disclosed that the total procurement value was US$8.5 million and the Ministry received a "no objection" opinion from the World Bank to proceed with the procurement for the value of only US$ 1.1 million.

However, they disclosed, the Ministry went ahead to procure drugs through UNICEF for US$ 8.5 million paid in advance by Norwegian government.

“Why did the procurement of drugs went beyond the $1.1 Million dollars approved by the bank,” they wondered.

The statement questioned the World Bank for giving a go ahead to the Ministry of Health to procure a large quantity of drugs which were not off the shelf and later resulted in a serious delay of delivery.

The concerned Malawians asked why UNICEF tendered to procure drugs, which were “obviously” not in stock.

“By tendering outside the country, it was clear that it was not in a position to deliver timely. Why did it not accept only those drugs it would readily deliver from its shelves? The delay in delivery has failed Malawians and some have lost their lives and yet no one is asking the UNICEF to explain to Malawians why they have failed so miserably,” said the statement.

“Does the action of appointing UNICEF to supply medical supplies without a tender as required by the law raise concerns of irregularities?” it questions.

The statement said although the World Bank Procurement guidelines under paragraph 3.9 (a) allow procurement through UN Agencies for "small quantities of off the shelf goods, primarily in the fields of education and health" the procurement of US$ 8.5 million should not have been given a go ahead.

They claim that with the delay in delivery, UNICEF did not have these as "off the shelf goods" in stock.

Minister of Health Majorie Ngaunge is on record to have said private local suppliers were shunned in the procurement branding them corrupt and conniving with Central Medical Stores staff in the theft of drugs.

But concerned citizens said they take exception to the Honourable Minister's attitude of branding Central Medical stores staff and local suppliers as corrupt and criminals without any evidence.

Results of health service research by Biomediccentral also noted about the shortage of drug supplies in government hospitals and said levels of supply are “unacceptable” due to “insufficient” deliveries from the Regional Medical Store.