Drug theft worries Health Ministry

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Peter Kumpalume

Malawi’s Ministry of health has expressed worry over rampant drug theft in the country’s public hospitals saying it scares drug donors.

Speaking to Malawi24 on Thursday, Minister of health Peter Kumpalume emphasized that the conduct is evil and subjects many Malawians to health risks.

He reminded masterminds of such acts that due to their selfishness, the United States of America has threatened to cut drug aid.

Peter Kumpalume
Kumpalume: Says the development remains worrisome.

“That’s totally unacceptable and evil. Many Malawians are subjected to preventable deaths because someone has a tendency of stealing drugs. It’s very unfortunate,” said Kumpalume.

Recently Malawi24 published an article that highlighted the US embassy’s threat to withhold its aid to Malawi due to some medics’ tendency to steal public resources like drugs.

Against this threat, the ministry of health says it will map some new ways on how such thieves can be caught and brought to book.

Kumpalume hinted at the possibility of introducing a toll free number so that the public can be informing the ministry in cases where drugs are being stolen.

“We have designed a lot of ways to deal with drug theft. We are mulling over coming up with a toll free and conducting awareness campaigns so that we engage the public in a war against drug theft,” he said.

Malawi24 understands that some medics steal drugs due to lack of motivation as most of them often complain of being paid peanuts while others stock them in their own private clinics.

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12 Comments

  1. Inenso ndi mmodzi mwa ma dokotalawo ndipo mankhwalawo ndabapo,koma nditalandila yesu ndinasiya.truely speaking drugs are stolen and if u want to catch these thieves involve some of us we will help you to catch them.A boma you are 100% right

  2. just tightern the security ryt at the core source.koma since amaziwa kut akaika tyt security siadyapo so they just let the security in the hospitals loose for their benefit

  3. Akudandaulayo ndi ndani, wadziwa liti kut mankhwala akubedwa, anthu onse amagwidwa ndi mankhwala aja amachitapo chani? You r trying to blindfold us with ur epileptic words. Zigulitsani, anthu apanda chisoni inu.mxieeeew

  4. This is now government escape got. What image do you want to put on health personal? Mind you all what your saying it will transmits to our patients. Let’s speak reality that we do not have funds to procure drug.

    1. Iwe should we say you don’t know that some healthy workers are indeed selling government drugs to private hospitals yet many malawians are being told to go buy drugs from pharmacy. Of course government can be blamed for not providing enough founding but lets be prudent in the way we manage our hard earned resources.

    2. @ Griffin I don’t waste my time arguing with Vendors like you @ Davie moya ngatiwe ine ayi sifuna thembelero. To you all, I need to educate u!! Think % of drug procured in our district against dispersion !!! does it mean each and every health worker come out with drug when knocking off? Gyz be realistic. Out of experience you find that even central medical store run out of drug and this cause pressure to district which also end up to health center. Example u come for a prescription of Allergic, in our hospital Tetracycline eye ointment is only drug that used to be available with emphasis for rational compared with dexamethazone which is out of stock for along time. You mean that a knowledge personal as i am should keep on prescribed tetracycline that can not assist you while in pvt clinic dexamethazone is available!? eeeeee!? while at the end you say health workers still drug?? kubvetsa chisoni a Malawi. l hope sooner or later l leave the ministry and Malawi will hit with shortage of both health personal and drug kuti tidzawone mudzanamizira yani!!!!

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