Availability of Medicines in the Country, Rises to 81%
The Director General of the Tanzania Medical Depot (MSD), Mavere Tukai, has said that the availability of medicines in the country has reached 81 percent in June 2023 from 57 percent in June 2022, which has contributed to simplifying the provision of services in the country.
He said this on September 27, 2023 in Dar es Salaam during a working session with media editors in the country under the coordination of the Treasury Registrar's Office.
Mavere said that the availability of health products in the country has continued to improve day by day due to the significant investments made by the Sixth Phase Government under President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
"Due to the significant investments made by President Samia, it has contributed to the availability of health products from 51 percent in June 2022 to 64 percent in June 2023," said Mavere.
He added that MSD has been collaborating with the private sector in achieving the distribution of medicines where it has four responsibilities including production, procurement, maintenance and distribution.
“Production is carried out through our factories including the Keko factory which we own 70 percent with the Government while the private sector owns 30 percent,” he said.
He said, they are also responsible for ensuring reliable access to health products in health care facilities in the country and have been implementing this with great success.
The Director General explained that MSD has been distributing health products directly to the facilities.
“Distribution is carried out every two months with more than 185 vehicles and handovers are carried out through the PoD system (through TEHAMA),” he noted.
He said, through its 10 zones which include the regions of Dar es Salaam, Tanga, Kilimanjaro, Iringa, Mbeya, Mwanza, Tabora, Kagera, Mtwara and Dodoma, they serve more than 7,600 health facilities.
He also said that the funds received in the 2022/23 financial year were 190.3 billion shillings compared to 134.9 billion shillings in the 2021/22 financial year, equivalent to 95 percent.
