COSASE grills National Medical Stores over Shs180bn drug delays and Shs8bn expiry losses

Members of Parliament on the Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) have expressed serious concerns regarding the operational efficiency of the National Medical Stores (NMS). The committee is scrutinizing the agency for its failure to deliver Shs180 billion in essential medicines to health facilities across Uganda on schedule.

Legislators highlighted that these delays could have severe consequences, potentially leading to preventable deaths due to the unavailability of critical drugs in public hospitals. The situation is compounded by the revelation that NMS has also overseen the expiry of medicines valued at Shs8 billion within its warehouses.

Further aggravating the issue, NMS reportedly spent an additional Shs3.6 billion to destroy the expired stock. COSASE Chairperson Muwadda Nkunyingi pointed to these incidents as clear indicators of significant weaknesses in NMS’s planning and inventory management processes. “What we are seeing here is a failure of planning and inventory management. You cannot have medicine worth billions expiring and then spend more billions to destroy it. That is wastage of public funds,” Nkunyingi stated.

NMS General Manager Moses Kamabale attributed the delivery delays primarily to an “inadequate transportation means,” stating that the agency lacked sufficient vehicles to ensure timely distribution. Regarding the expired drugs, Kamabale acknowledged the situation but did not offer a detailed explanation during the hearing.

Deputy Chairperson George Musisi echoed the sentiment, calling the situation “unacceptable” given the persistent drug shortages faced by many Ugandans. The committee also raised questions about recent staff dismissals and related labor disputes, demanding an explanation for these terminations and their potential financial implications for the government.

In response to the committee’s queries, Kamabale assured that NMS management would review its distribution and storage systems and present a comprehensive plan to address the identified issues. COSASE has pledged to closely monitor the implementation of any corrective measures, demanding clear timelines for improvements in drug distribution and a reduction in wastage.

This oversight hearing underscores critical issues in the supply chain for essential medicines in Uganda.