Computer failure threatens medicine supply in Gauteng hospitals

5 February 2018

Medicine shortages at Gauteng state hospitals and clinics are likely this week because of a computer failure at the Auckland Park Medical Supplies Depot, which serves all health facilities that fall under the Gauteng Health Department.

The computer server for the MEDSAS drug supply system at the depot has been down for more than a week and efforts to repair it have not been successful.

Hospital pharmacies have been able to cope by using back-up stock or doing manual ordering, but this is not sustainable and medicine shortages will occur if computerized ordering is not restored soon.

This is a dire threat to medicine supplies which the Department needs to attend to urgently.

It is yet another example of gross mismanagement that negatively affects healthcare for state patients in Gauteng.

Issued by Jack Bloom, DA Gauteng Shadow Health MEC, 5 February 2018