The Chairperson for the Parliamentary Committee on Budget and Finance Committee Gladys Ganda says she wholly recommends a proposal of directly funding health facilities at whatever may be an agreed rate. According to her; this is an intervention that could assist towards ending drug stock outs in public health facilities. Ganda made the sentiments on 19th May in Salima at a Consultative Meeting on Addressing Persistent Drug Stock Outs organized by the Network of Journalists Living with HIV and AIDS (JONEHA) with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates through AVAC under the COMPASS Project.
The Chairperson likened the idea to a programme in which the Ministry of Education is successfully implementing a project on construction of low cost school blocks by posting funds directly to schools’ bank accounts instead of channelling the funds through district councils.
“It’s doable; if the Ministry of Education can do it why not the Ministry of Health as long as it is benefitting the rural masses. Members of parliament are ready to support that.” Ganda made her point.
Speaking earlier, the Parliamentary Chairperson on Health Committee Dr. Matthews Ngwale reported about a similar consultative meeting in February 2021 which brought together his committee, Directors of Health and Social Services (DHSS), Secretary for Health and CMST top brass; Board Chairperson and other directors. He said the meeting proposed partial or complete decentralisation of the drug budget to district health offices. Dr. Ngwale related the proposal to the 30% being asked by Directors of Health and Social Services.
The DHSS for Mulanje speaking on behalf of other districts in the country earlier made a presentation in which she called upon members of parliament to consider allocating part of the drug budget eg 30% to district councils so that the CMST gets 70%. In earlier meetings conducted by JONEHA more DHSS supported the proposal saying it would cushion dire situations when the CMST cannot effect supplies.
The 2017-2022 Health Sector Strategic Plan (HSSP2) is the over-arching service delivery blue print in Malawi. In its objective number 5.5; the guiding document talks about improving the availability, quality and utilization of medicines and medical supplies. This objective focusses on improving the efficiency of the supply chain for medicines and medical supplies to ensure Melawi’s domestication of the United Nations declaration of Universal Health Coverage also as endorsed and encouraged by the World Health Organisation. Universal Health Coverage demands that all people should have access to needed health services in sufficient quality to
be effective while also ensuring that the use of these services does not expose the user to financial hardship. The HSSP2 is premised on the aspiration of Universal Health Coverage through essential health package (EHP)
