By Isaac Zulu
Central Province permanent secretary Milner Mwanakampwe says the practice of sending people with prescriptions to private drug stores must come to an end, saying people should effect arrests on health workers involved in the pilferage of drugs.
Mwanakampwe has observed that members of the public have been complaining about the shortage of medicines in public health facilities even when government has been procuring drugs and other essentials for clinics and hospitals.
He said that it is unacceptable to hear people lamenting that they are being issued with prescriptions to go and buy medicines from private pharmacies when government has procured medicines for public health facilities.
“This issue of people and patients complaining that they have been given a prescription to go and buy panadol from private drug store should come to an end. It is unacceptable to hear people complaining about shortage of medicines in public health facilities when government has done its party by procuring drugs. And as Provincial Administration, I would like to send a strong warning to health personnel and any government worker not to engage in the pilferage of drugs,” Mwanakampwe said.
Mwanakampwe also urged members of the public to effect citizens’ arrest on any health worker that would engage in the pilferage of drugs.
“If you find any health worker or government worker pilfering drugs, arrest them,” said Mwanakampwe.
He was speaking when he commissioned a health post in chief Chitina’s area in Mkushi district.
And Mkushi district commissioner Mathews Kapungwe said that the newly constructed health facility will go a long way in addressing the challenges people in chief Chitina’s area were facing when accessing health facilities, saying people used to cover long distances to access medical services.
Kapungwe said that reports of women delivering while going to the health centre were common in Nshinso area.
He also called on the Provincial Medical Officer to hasten the deployment of health personnel to the health post in order to prevent the facility from acts of vandalism.
And speaking when he commissioned a newly constructed bus station in Masansa area in Luano district, Mwanakampwe urged members of political parties to stay away from the facility.
Mwanakampwe said that it is the mandate of local authorities to run markets and bus stations, saying the UPND administration will not allow any party cadres to interfere in the operations of trading places and bus stations.
He said that the UPND government has managed to bring sanity in the running of markets and bus stations, saying no party cadre would be allowed to harass and victimise innocent people in public places.
