NCOP
FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION NO. 109 (*78)
DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 08 SEPTEMBER 2014
(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 11)
Ms L L Zwane (ANC-KZN) to ask the Minister of Health:
Whether his department has looked at better ways to ensure operational
efficiency and effectiveness in the health management bureaucracy,
especially in (a) the procurement and delivery of medicines to clinics
throughout the country, (b) the provision of adequate nutrition to patients
and (c) improving services that our people receive in our public health
institutions; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
CW163E
REPLY:
The National Department of Health has initiated various interventions to
address the weaknesses in the procurement and delivery of medicines. These
interventions are aimed at creating a streamlined and efficient supply
chain system that supports evidence-based, predictable, reliable and timely
ordering of medicine supply and cost-effective resource allocation. The
various interventions being implemented include:
i) Direct Delivery Strategy
The Direct Delivery Strategy (DDS) is based on a delivery methodology
where contracted suppliers deliver medicines directly to health
facilities (subject to space capacity constraints), rather than to
depots. This reduces the time that it takes for medicine to reach
facilities, and improves medicine availability.
ii) Central Chronic Medicine Dispensing and Distribution Programme
(CCMDD)
Patients with chronic diseases receive medicine every month and
usually receive a repeat prescription for a period of six months. The
CCMDD programme enables medicine from these repeat prescriptions to be
dispensed centrally using private sector facilities and distributed
every month to a pick-up-point of convenience for the patient. This
decongests clinics and allows resources to be used in a cost-efficient
manner.
iii) Control Tower and Provincial Medicine Procurement Units (PMPU)
The Control Tower serves as the national hub for contract management,
including overall efficiency and effectiveness monitoring. The PMPUs
serve as tactical operational units responsible for managing the
procurement of medicines within the provinces, using the modern
delivery methods and supported by modern systems and processes.
iv) End-to-end visibility in the supply chain and electronic data
interchanges
Part of the challenge with the current medicine supply chain is the
lack of end-to-end visibility of stock holding due to poor network
infrastructure. In order to address this challenge, the DoH is
developing a prototype for a standardised stock management system that
is networked throughout the supply chain process.
A pilot currently underway uses mobile phones to do stock taking at
clinic level, supporting improved demand planning and reduced wastage
by allowing stock managers to access real-time information about
medicine availability. This pilot allows for an informed replenishment
model at facility level, freeing nurses to focus on patient care
rather than stock management.
v) Direct Purchasing
The direct purchasing method enables selected central hospitals to
place orders directly with contracted suppliers and manage the full
procurement cycle. This method enables facilities to proactively
manage their medicines stocks and to minimise or eliminate stockouts.
END.