MSD: More drug factories needed

BY DAVID KISANGA

7th August 2013

MSD Acting Managing Director, Isaya Mzoro

The government has been urged to encourage local and foreign investors to put up pharmaceutical factories in order to cut down cost of importation of medicines and equipment by the Medical Stores Department (MSD).

MSD Acting Managing Director Isaya Mzoro made the call in Dar es Salaam yesterday when speaking to journalists, saying his department imports 90 percent of its stock.

He said currently the country has only two pharmaceutical factories which cannot meet the country’s demand for medicines and medical equipment.
“Previously, the country had at least seven factories manufacturing medicines. Only two remain and only one of them is stable in production,” he said.

Mzoro said it is time Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC) and the ministry of Industries and Trade encouraged local and foreign investors to put up pharmaceutical plants.

He cited Uganda which previously had five factories but multiplied them to twenty seven while Kenya had one and went up to seven unlike Tanzania whose number kept dwindling.

The two pharmaceutical companies currently in the country are Shellys and Keko pharmaceutical.
Mzoro pointed out that though the two factories are still surviving, production is not satisfactory as the country still imports 90 percent of the drugs needed.

“We only purchase 10 percent from these local factories, for they sometimes
don’t produce enough to meet our demand,” he said.

According to him, 80 percent of medicines, 95 percent of medical equipment and 100 percent of laboratory equipment come from outside the country.

On MSD’s achievements and implementation, Mzoro said their main target is to increase and improve availability of medicines and facilities in all parts of the country to reach every health institution in time.

Examining the trend of availability of medicines and medical equipment in health facilities based on annual budgets, Mzoro said it has so far increased.

“A research conducted by different stakeholders in 2010/11 fiscal year, showed that the availability of medicines in public hospitals has increased from 70 to 75 percent,” he said.

Mzoro said among challenges facing MSD is an increase in demand not matched by the allocated budget, delay of funds from the Treasury, municipalities neglecting other sources that can regulate cash flow like NHIF, CHF, Basket Fund, cost sharing and the tendency of entirely depending on funds from the government through MSD.

Other challenges include few pharmaceutical factories, slow process of procuring medicines which sometimes takes six to nine months and some dispensaries and health centers not placing their orders to MSD on time as recommended.

Mzoro also revealed that MSD is planning to collaborate with the private sector to distribute medicines and other medical facilities efficiently. 

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN