By CHIMPREPORTS
The government is set to recover COVID-19 vaccine doses that expired at the National Medical Store (NMS) after securing funds from GAVI, according to the Auditor General.
At the time of the Ministry of Health’s disclosure, approximately 5,619,120 doses valued at UGX 28 billion had expired at NMS, leading to an estimated total loss of UGX 300 billion this year.
Auditor General John Muwanga attributes the vaccine expiration to unnecessary purchases driven by speculation. He explains that additional purchases were made because the government had committed manufacturers with conditional grants from the World Bank to produce and deliver vaccines, which couldn’t be halted.
Muwanga also notes that NMS has expired drug stock worth UGX 33 billion, a 153% increase from the previous year’s UGX 13.4 billion. This includes Anti-retroviral Medication (ARVs), expiring due to changes in recommended treatment guidelines by the World Health Organization.
To prevent drug expiry, the Attorney General has advised the NMS accounting officer to appropriately align the budget for essential medicines and health supplies with demand, avoiding overstocking.
The Auditor General reports delays and underdeliveries of drugs and medical supplies to various health facilities by NMS. Out of 3,254 health facilities, 3,183 experienced underdeliveries totaling UGX 26.403 billion. Additionally, irregular delivery cycles resulted in delayed deliveries, causing disruptions in patient treatment.
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