NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION NO. 1032
DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 28 AUGUST 2009
(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 12)
Dr H M Dandala (Cope) to ask the Minister of Health:
Whether any hospitals in the Free State, Eastern Cape or Northern Cape
experienced a shortage of medicines in the past eight months; if not, what
is the position in this regard; if so, how many days did each of these
hospitals endure without such supplies?
NW1270E
REPLY:
EASTERN CAPE:
Shortages of medicines were experienced at times by some hospitals in the
Eastern Cape due to drug supply problems.Â
FREE STATE:
Free State facilities keep between 600 and 2000 medicine items each,
depending on the type of services rendered at facility level of care. The
out of stock situation varies from facility to facility, item to item and
day to day depending on a number of factors.
Free State started experiencing medicine shortages in September 2008 due to
financial constraints. During February funds were made available to procure
medicines and permission was obtained to distribute stock available in the
Medical Depot to the facilities and costs thereof to be carried over to the
following financial year.
The period of time a facility was out of stock of a specific item can be
estimated at anything between 30 and 60 days depending on the item.
NORTHERN CAPE:
No critical shortages were experienced. Where a hospital had experienced
specific medicine shortages, contingency plans were put in place and
service delivery was not compromised.
Whenever medicine shortages are reported to the National Department of
Health it is investigated and where possible resolved.
END.