The Citizen Observatory for Health (OCS) warns that the shortage of essential medicines in public hospitals is worsening, demanding clarification from the authorities about the stock.

According to a VOAAccording to António Mathe, coordinator of the public participation pillar at the OCS, public service users face a major problem of lack of medicines, "even to treat more common illnesses such as malaria and other diseases".

The OCS criticizes the authorities for minimizing the situation by making people believe there is enough stock in the country, a situation that contrasts with the situation in public hospitals.

The director general of the Central de Medicamentos e Artigos Médicos, Laila Monteiro, quoted by Radio MozambiqueLast week, he assured us that there are medicines for the next 18 months.

"Various challenges can contribute to a situation, but we can't characterize it as a shortage of medicines. (...) If we find ourselves in an epidemic situation, occasionally the situation can change, but we can't translate it as a shortage," said Monteiro, at the close of the first National Council for Pharmaceutical Logistics and Medical Articles.

But Mathe wonders: "If these drugs exist, why aren't they available in health facilities?"

Photo (DW)