Pretoria - The Gauteng Department of Health has settled in full all debts owed to medical suppliers for 2011 and is now moving at speed to implement a turnaround strategy at its medical depot, the department says.
"A total sum of R874 million was paid to medical suppliers last week, settling all outstanding accruals from 2011. The provincial MEC for Health and Social Development, Entomb Merge, has instructed that all efforts be made to improve drug stock holding in the province from the current six weeks to three months," said the department
A meeting between the department and medical suppliers is also being planned to discuss working relationships and measures to improve supplies.
Meanwhile, the department announced that efforts are underway to improve controls on the distribution of medicines from the supply depot to hospitals and clinics.
A review of the business model of the medical supply depot has commenced as part of the turnaround strategy.
The department explained that the review is a 12-month project that has been introduced to increase patients' access to medicine, improve warehousing and establish ICT systems at regional pharmacies.
"A provincial pharmaceutical and therapeutic committee of experts has been established to monitor and ensure rationale use of medicines. The committee will also interrogate scientific evidence for protocols, assist in ensuring the availability of essential drugs and advise the department of drug related matters," the department noted.
