Khartoum — The National Medical Supplies Fund (NMSF) stated that the past days have witnessed widespread debate on social media platforms regarding the medicine crisis and its repercussions. Accusations were circulated claiming that the NMSF is hiding medicines with the intent of harming patients, in addition to complaints about the absence of vital items such as Paracetamol solutions and their unprecedented price increases, as well as the lack of medicine in the pharmacies of the Circular Drug Fund in Khartoum State.
In an official circular issued today, and in pursuit of clarifying misconceptions and briefing public opinion, the NMSF explains the following facts:
Firstly:
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The National Medical Supplies Fund is the body responsible for managing the national medicine supply system across Sudan.The Fund centrally provides medicines in bulk and distributes them to its branches in the states. These branches, in turn, dispense medicines to patients in health facilities according to the national health policy based on decentralization, aiming to achieve fairness in the distribution of pharmaceutical services throughout the country.
Secondly:
Khartoum State relies on the Circular Drug Fund for providing and distributing medicines in its health facilities. This is an independent institution separate from the National Medical Supplies Fund. Consequently, the responsibility for supplying medicines to government hospitals within Khartoum whether free or at a cost falls exclusively upon the Circular Drug Fund.
Thirdly:
Prior to the outbreak of the war, the National Medical Supplies Fund made efforts in coordination with the Federal Ministry of Health and the government of Khartoum State to regulate the provision of pharmaceutical services in accordance with the national health policy. This included signing a partnership with the Circular Drug Fund in Khartoum State, under which the pharmacies previously managed by the NMSF within the state were handed over to the Circular Drug Fund as the competent authority.
Furthermore, the Wali (governor) of Khartoum State took a number of fundamental reform measures aimed at mobilizing efforts and rationalizing resources by unifying medicine supply systems and reducing costs through centralized bulk purchasing, with the Circular Drug Fund assuming responsibility for service delivery in the state.
This step was supported by the Federal Minister of Health and the Wali of Khartoum State, who together affirmed their commitment to pushing efforts to develop the system and integrate the Circular Drug Fund into the National Medical Supplies Fund system.
Future Vision:
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Unifying the medicine supply system represents a beacon of hope for achieving stability and alleviating the suffering of patients, which entails:
· Abundance of medicines in government pharmacies.
· Cost reduction through unified purchasing from the National Fund.
· Restoring citizen confidence in health institutions and putting an end to the damaging suspicions.
In conclusion:
What is required today is community solidarity and strong institutional will to overcome the crisis. Medicine is a human right that should not be managed with a logic of profit and loss, but rather with a logic of duty and responsibility towards the citizen.
