Health ministry gets N$1.4bn procurement exemption
The health ministry has been given the green light to directly procure medical supplies worth N$1.4 billion. This after the ministry sought a procurement exemption from treasury because of unending battles between bidders for sought-after medical supply tenders dating back to 2022. The tenders that are currently outstanding are the clinical supplies bid, the controversial ‘condom tender’, a pharmaceutical supplies tender and the provision of meals according to dietary needs for patients in the Erongo Region.
“It should be noted that these [contracts] are of high value, beyond the ministry’s procurement threshold, hence they were executed by the Central Procurement Board of Namibia. The ministry has no bid currently in court that is below the procurement threshold,” executive director Ben Nangombe said.
He added that the ministry is buckling under the pressure of the medical supply shortage, which currently stands at over 1 300 core products needed for the operations of healthcare facilities across the country.
“The ministry has approached the ministry of finance for exemptions for N$1.38 billion and N$35 million and minister Ipumbu Shiimi has responded positively. The health ministry is now busy sourcing to stock up the required items, specifically those that are out of stock or have reached replenishment levels,” Nangombe said.
He added: “We are sourcing these items from local and international manufacturers. Also, take note that these items are procured at high value due to the pressing time and may have to be airlifted - that comes at a cost”.
Standstill
In recent weeks, Namibian Sun has reported on the shortage of medicine at state facilities, including reports that there is a significant demand for prostate cancer medication - which allegedly ran out over three months ago - while procurement for new supplies has come to a standstill.
Also in acute shortage are other critical medicines, clinical supplies and assistive devices such as crutches and prosthetic limbs, a situation mainly caused by numerous court disputes. This publication further revealed that adrenaline, antibiotics and morphine medications are in short supply. Adrenaline is used for patients suffering from cardiac arrest and serious breathing problems, while morphine is primarily administered to cancer patients.
Last month, Rundu-based doctors lamented feeling increasingly demoralised due to the lack of essential medications for their patients.
One medical professional, who chose to remain anonymous, said he often feels ‘helpless’, as though he is failing his patients, due to the shortage of essential drugs.
“It makes you feel useless. For example, when we don’t have critical fluids, you’re left wondering how to compensate for a patient’s needs. Certain fluids are necessary to help the patient, but when there’s nothing available, you’re left with no options,” he said.
“Sometimes, you have to send the patient home without proper treatment, and it leaves you questioning why you even come to work if you don’t have the necessary medications. How long will this go on? How long should we wait for these essential medications to arrive?”
Another doctor said: “It’s really bad. When you talk to the supervisors, they act like it’s not a big deal. They just say it’s a countrywide issue. But if this is affecting the whole country, what are we, as a hospital, doing to compensate for the lack of medication and essential fluids? Are we doing something? Are we pushing the ministry to address this problem and informing them that our doctors can’t work under these conditions?”
In May, Namibian Sun reported that doctors and nurses at the Oshakati State Hospital had resorted to sedating mentally-ill patients to avoid being assaulted. This was due to a severe lack of psychotropic medication, which the hospital had suffered for months.
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“It should be noted that these [contracts] are of high value, beyond the ministry’s procurement threshold, hence they were executed by the Central Procurement Board of Namibia. The ministry has no bid currently in court that is below the procurement threshold,” executive director Ben Nangombe said.
He added that the ministry is buckling under the pressure of the medical supply shortage, which currently stands at over 1 300 core products needed for the operations of healthcare facilities across the country.
“The ministry has approached the ministry of finance for exemptions for N$1.38 billion and N$35 million and minister Ipumbu Shiimi has responded positively. The health ministry is now busy sourcing to stock up the required items, specifically those that are out of stock or have reached replenishment levels,” Nangombe said.
He added: “We are sourcing these items from local and international manufacturers. Also, take note that these items are procured at high value due to the pressing time and may have to be airlifted - that comes at a cost”.
Standstill
In recent weeks, Namibian Sun has reported on the shortage of medicine at state facilities, including reports that there is a significant demand for prostate cancer medication - which allegedly ran out over three months ago - while procurement for new supplies has come to a standstill.
Also in acute shortage are other critical medicines, clinical supplies and assistive devices such as crutches and prosthetic limbs, a situation mainly caused by numerous court disputes. This publication further revealed that adrenaline, antibiotics and morphine medications are in short supply. Adrenaline is used for patients suffering from cardiac arrest and serious breathing problems, while morphine is primarily administered to cancer patients.
Last month, Rundu-based doctors lamented feeling increasingly demoralised due to the lack of essential medications for their patients.
One medical professional, who chose to remain anonymous, said he often feels ‘helpless’, as though he is failing his patients, due to the shortage of essential drugs.
“It makes you feel useless. For example, when we don’t have critical fluids, you’re left wondering how to compensate for a patient’s needs. Certain fluids are necessary to help the patient, but when there’s nothing available, you’re left with no options,” he said.
“Sometimes, you have to send the patient home without proper treatment, and it leaves you questioning why you even come to work if you don’t have the necessary medications. How long will this go on? How long should we wait for these essential medications to arrive?”
Another doctor said: “It’s really bad. When you talk to the supervisors, they act like it’s not a big deal. They just say it’s a countrywide issue. But if this is affecting the whole country, what are we, as a hospital, doing to compensate for the lack of medication and essential fluids? Are we doing something? Are we pushing the ministry to address this problem and informing them that our doctors can’t work under these conditions?”
In May, Namibian Sun reported that doctors and nurses at the Oshakati State Hospital had resorted to sedating mentally-ill patients to avoid being assaulted. This was due to a severe lack of psychotropic medication, which the hospital had suffered for months.
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