Journalists drilled in medical supply chain

One of the country’s charitable organisations – Oxfam Malawi has stressed on the need to equip journalists with knowledge of Malawi’s medicines and medical supplies landscape.

The organisation’s Media and Communications Lead for Southern Africa Daudi Kayisi said this during a two-day training workshop on reporting medicines and medical supplies organised by Central Medical Stores Trust (CMST) with financial support from Oxfam Malawi.

According to Kayisi, journalists need to be drilled on the national pharmaceutical supply chain and operations of CMST.

He said: “Very worrying is that it is on record that Malawi loses about 30% of the national drug budget to pilferage. Based on evidence available, all these falls under supply chain management and reporting of medicines.

“Over the years drug pilferage, drug stock outs and expiry of drugs have continued to haunt the country‘s public hospitals.”

Speaking during the same training, Principal Secretary responsible for Administration in the Ministry of Health Beston Chisamile said there is need for the media to critically verify information before it is relayed to the public.

Said Chisamile: “Most of the issues that drive wedges in the relationship between the media and their news sources in the health sector concern the former’s lack of fundamental knowledge about health subjects.

“It therefore becomes hard for the sources to trust the media with interviews, and this is to the detriment of a vibrant media platform. We need to meet frequently and orient each other of the critical issues in health.”

On his part, CMST Chief Executive Officer Chikaiko Chadzunda said the event is a big opportunity for CMST and all stakeholders all to discuss a prominent topic which is the role of medicines and medical supplies in improving and maintaining the nation’s health gain.

He said: “I will even draw the meeting to the importance of discussing the public health commodity supply chain with our colleagues from the media.

“Health is a very important topic in our lives. In fact, it is the axis of our existence or everything we do. Without health, anything would stop.”

Meanwhile, the journalists through their mother body MISA Malawi have hailed the training describing it as an eye opener for medical supply chain.

“MISA Malawi values any capacity building initiatives targeted at journalists and we hope this training will address the challenges that the media are facing in reporting medicines supply chain,” said Mandy, MISA Malawi vice chairperson.

According to Health Sector Strategic Plan II, the health care system in Malawi experiences shortage of essential medical supplies and technologies and there are several factors leading to the challenge.

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