By: NICO SMIT
CABINET has instructed the Ministry of Health and Social Services to investigate the bungled N$18 million purchase of medical vaccines from Cuba.
Prime Minister Nahas Angula told The Namibian that Cabinet expressed concern over the issue and instructed the Ministry of Health to look into the matter.
Last week Health Minister Richard Kamwi said that as part of Government's policy to diversify the sourcing of medical supplies, Cabinet had directed his Ministry during May 2010 “to purchase a specific percentage of medical products and vaccines from Cuba”.
According to the Health Minister, he only became aware of the “challenges regarding the use of these vaccines in Namibia,” and the fact that the vaccines “were not in line with WHO recommendations” in January 2011, after the vaccines had arrived in Namibia.
Dismissing media reports that the vaccines had cost N$50 million, Kamwi said that the actual price was N$18 million, and added that once the vaccines arrived in Namibia, Cuban experts were brought in “to seek their understanding if we could swap (the vaccines) with any WHO pre-qualified medicines”.
The swap could however not be carried out due to “technical reasons,” and following consultations with Cabinet, it was decided that “the best option was to donate the vaccines back to Havana”, Kamwi said.
When asked by journalists on Tuesday whether an investigation would be conducted into the matter and whether anyone would be held accountable, Kamwi said that he had acted within his mandate.
However, Angula said that following its instructions to the Ministry of Health to investigate, Cabinet would await a report from the Ministry detailing the findings of the investigation.
The Prime Minister said that all the facts needed to be established before someone could be charged with misconduct.
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Last week Health Minister Richard Kamwi said that as part of Government's policy to diversify the sourcing of medical supplies, Cabinet had directed his Ministry during May 2010 “to purchase a specific percentage of medical products and vaccines from Cuba”.
According to the Health Minister, he only became aware of the “challenges regarding the use of these vaccines in Namibia,” and the fact that the vaccines “were not in line with WHO recommendations” in January 2011, after the vaccines had arrived in Namibia.
Dismissing media reports that the vaccines had cost N$50 million, Kamwi said that the actual price was N$18 million, and added that once the vaccines arrived in Namibia, Cuban experts were brought in “to seek their understanding if we could swap (the vaccines) with any WHO pre-qualified medicines”.
The swap could however not be carried out due to “technical reasons,” and following consultations with Cabinet, it was decided that “the best option was to donate the vaccines back to Havana”, Kamwi said.
When asked by journalists on Tuesday whether an investigation would be conducted into the matter and whether anyone would be held accountable, Kamwi said that he had acted within his mandate.
However, Angula said that following its instructions to the Ministry of Health to investigate, Cabinet would await a report from the Ministry detailing the findings of the investigation.
The Prime Minister said that all the facts needed to be established before someone could be charged with misconduct.
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