20 people caught trafficking in medicines – Mozambique

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20 people caught trafficking in medicines – Mozambique

7:53 CAT | 08 Dec 2016

O País (File photo)

The Mozambican authorities initiated disciplinary and criminal proceedings against 18 health workers and arrested two people over the past year for the theft and trafficking in medicines, according to Health Minister Nazira Abdula, cited in Tuesday’s issue of the independent daily “O Pais”.

“These people were held responsible for their acts thanks to the implementation of our strategy to combat the theft, diversion and contraband in medicines”, she said on Monday at the opening in Maputo of a meeting of the General Health Directorate.

The strategy, she said, involves the collaboration of the Health Ministry with the police, the courts, the Mozambique Tax Authority (AT), and municipal authorities.

Abdula believed that the introduction of a stamp reading “For the exclusive use of the National Health Service” had reduced the diversion of publicly-owned medicines and equipment into private clinics and pharmacies.

Dishonest staff had regularly stolen medicines from public health units and sold them on to the private sector. With the medicines now clearly stating that they are the property of the National Health Service, such theft has become more difficult.

“Despite all efforts”, Abdula added, “we are continuing to see discrepancies and theft of pharmaceutical products and medical material”.

During audits, the “discrepancies” noted (and most likely the result of theft) involved a range of medicines including antibiotics, anti-malarial drugs, painkillers, and anti-inflammatory medicines. Abdula urged the inspectors to monitor all these products carefully.

Over the past year, the inspectorate had audited 160 million meticais (2.2 million US dollars) in public health institutions, and noted irregularities in private pharmacies which led to fines and recommendations of criminal proceedings in 46 cases, some of which have now been sent to the Public Prosecutor’s Office.

Source: AIM