Pharmaceuticals supply hits 95% in Addis Ababa
Tesfalem Adraro, Deputy Director General of Stock and Distribution, disclosed that the Quick Win Initiative has helped shore up the supply rate of pharmaceuticals from 60% to 95% in 12 hospitals in Addis chosen for the program, in an interview with EPSA PR and Communication section on March 25, 2019.
The initiative put forth by the Ministry of Health to curb pharmaceuticals supply problems and implemented by EPSA facilitates the relay of reports from center to facility, speeding up the delivery of ample pharmaceuticals to health facilities.
The Deputy Director General stated that the 100 days plan in the current fiscal year of the initiative, which went operational in May 2018, set out to expand the scheme to 60 hospitals across the country.
He pointed out that 48 hospitals are implementing the initiative, stressing that the number of hospitals that have received training and are currently on standby to kick off operation has hit 76. He also noted that all 76 hospitals will start implementing the initiative by the end of the 100 days.
Despite the prior reluctance of health facilities on the effectiveness of the initiative, the implementation stage has convinced them otherwise, stated the Deputy Director General.
He noted that the major leap has been achieved through the introduction of a new communication platform and not by allocating more pharmaceuticals.
Tesfalem Adraro also argued that the considerable achievements of the initiative exonerate the Agency of corruption allegations and bear testament to the information relay problems at the bottom of supply problems.
He underscored that the gap in pharmaceuticals supply is not the sole problem of the Agency. He then cited information relay problems compounded by misconceptions of attributing pharmaceuticals supply as the sole responsibility of the Agency as the causes for the problem and the impending allegations.
The Deputy Director General noted that the active participation and endorsement of health facilities is key in realizing the achievement and called on stakeholders to play their part in ensuring sustained pharmaceuticals supply.