Gauteng Health Department claims no missing medicine

30 May 2017

The Gauteng Health Department says that it "does not have any records of missing medicine" and that only R61 637 worth of medicine has been stolen in the last three years.

This is according to a written reply by Gauteng Health MEC Gwen Ramokgopa to my questions in the Gauteng Legislature.

She says: "The Department does not have any records of missing medicine and only has information reported on expired medicine and theft of medicine. Any missing medicine that is identified during stock takes or other checks is followed up and if stock is found to be stolen it will be reported as theft."

Stolen medicine records are as follows:

2014/15 38 cases worth R31 564

2015/16 60 cases worth R3 670

2016/17 90 cases worth R26 403

This amounts to a total of 188 cases for medicine worth R61 637, which is very low compared to evidence that medicine theft is much higher.

A recent episode of Special Assignment on SABC TV 3 investigated an organized crime syndicate that targets ports of entry, government depots, hospitals and includes the hijacking of trucks.

A raid on the surgery of Dr Mohamed Ahmed in Actonville in February this year led the Hawks to recover more than R2 million of allegedly stolen medicine which was destined for state hospitals. Why was this not picked up by the Gauteng Health Department?

There are widespread reports that anti-retrovirals are stolen for use in drug concoctions like nyaope.

Some medicine shortages in state hospitals and clinics can be attributed to medicine theft as well.

The Department is not detecting the rampant theft of medicines and needs to re-examine its monitoring methods.

Issued by Jack Bloom, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health, 30 May 2017