KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane checks the expiry date on some of the medication at Wentworth Hospital. | Doctor Ngcobo / Independent Newspapers
During a walkabout at Wentworth Hospital on Thursday, KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane maintained that there is no medication shortage.
Simelane said the department gave itself a gauge (stock visibility system) on what is acceptable in terms of stock availability.
She explained that when they have 100% to 90% stock, they are on green, meaning they have double the required amount. At amber, stock availability between 80% and 90% indicates that caution is advised, and plans should be made to procure necessary medication. Between 80% and 50%, new stock should have already been ordered.
“There is a letter and media speculation and briefings that are being made that as a department, we are at 60% stock availability. It’s not true,” Simelane explained.
“Of course, there are some medications that are at 60%.
“In other hospitals, we might be at 60%. But it doesn’t mean we don’t have medication. It means the stockpiling of our medication has reduced to that particular level, and the reasons that would be at that level vary.
“Others are informed by the fact that we have ordered and we have not received the medication. Other reasons are that when we order the medication, the service provider doesn’t have the medication that we need. Sometimes, at a facility level… we ordered medication late, and then it took time for the medication to get there.
“At no given time will we say we don’t have medication at all, what we would have sometimes is where we don't have a particular brand,” she said.
Simelane said when a particular medication is unavailable, the department has alternatives.
“I want to assure the people of KwaZulu-Natal that we do not have a medication shortage. It does happen from time to time that we run low,” Simelane said.
She said healthcare facilities should look to each other for medication or go to the provincial depot where medicine stockpiles are kept. If the province runs out of medication, they can speak to other provinces, she added.
Acting HOD Penny Msimango said in KZN, the stock visibility system shows most districts in terms of medicine availability are amber and some are green. There is no red in terms of clinics in KZN. However, some districts show red in terms of hospitals, and one district shows green.
“Generally across the province, we have medicine availability ranging between 80% to 90% of availability,” Msimango said.
A woman went to Mbalenhle Community Healthcare Centre on Sunday because she felt she was coming down with the flu. Her chest was tight and she could not sleep. Being asthmatic, she went to the clinic.
She told staff her symptoms and she was nebulised. Due to her blocked nose and cough, she was directed to another section. There, she informed the nurse about her flu symptoms.
“The nurse told me they hoped it was a dry cough because they did not have cough mixture. I was told to add brown sugar and lemon to hot water and drink it,” she said.
Regarding her asthma medication, Asthavent and Budeflam, she was told it was out of stock. She also asked for Panado but was told “the government didn’t send us meds”.
“I am only left with Iliadin.”
She used home remedies and although she was better, the cough remained.
thobeka.ngema@inl.co.za