Ministry of Health continues its efforts to ensure availability of medical supplies

Muscat: The Ministry of Health, represented by the Directorate General of Medical Supplies, is exerting efforts to meet the shortage of medical supplies and ensure availability of medicines.

Ibrahim bin Nasser Al Rashdi, Director General of the Directorate General of Medical Supplies at the Ministry of Health, said that the Sultanate of Oman, like other countries, faces challenges associated with the shortage in medical supplies, which in turn affects the availability of medicines.

He said that one of the main reasons for shortage is the logistics challenges due to restrictions associated with shipment or delay of goods at the customs points or the difficulties associated with availability of raw materials  besides the political factors and the economic fluctuations which affect the flow of medicines.

He also pointed out that the shortage of medicines affects the public health coupled with its impacts on health units and pharmacies in the government sector and the private sector.

He also said that the shortage of medicines hits patients with chronic disease who need it on a regular basis.

He reaffirmed that the health system is determined to make available vital medicines for patients including improvement in the supply operations and enhancement of local production of medicines.

He said that there are several procedures taken to meet the shortage and these include improvement in supply of medicines from pharmaceutical industries.

He said that the ministry is cooperating with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and several countries to ensure availability of medicines in the Omani market.

Hiba bint Najim Al Abri, a pharmacist at the Directorate General of Medical Supplies at the Ministry of Health, said that the procedures followed to control the shortage in medicines include increase in investment in this field where the government is working on boosting cooperation with the private sector to ensure availability of medicines, besides establishing partnerships for purchase and distribution of medicines in  a more efficient manner.