The National Medical Stores (NMS) has increased the allocation of essential medicines and supplies for Aduku Health Centre IV in Kwania District from Shs38 million to Shs45 million per delivery cycle.
The development was highlighted during a field visit by NMS Board members to Kwania District as part of an assessment of NMS performance for the 2025/26 financial year.
Kwania was the only district sampled in the Lango sub-region. In West Nile, Nebbi, Pakwach and Maracha districts were sampled, while Aduku HC IV and Akali HC III were the two health facilities visited in Kwania.
Dr David Okino, the Kwania District Health Officer, highlighted the achievements of NMS in collaboration with Kwania District Local Government. He said the increase in the NMS credit from Shs38 million to Shs45 million per delivery cycle translates into an annual allocation of Shs270 million for the 2026/27 financial year.
Dr Okino said the district had received the Cycle One order and delivery schedule, adding that Kwania had received all six cycles of medicines according to the approved delivery schedule.
He also noted improvements in communication and feedback between Kwania District Local Government and NMS through emails, letters and telephone calls.
According to Dr Okino, NMS has also supported capacity development of health workers in the district in areas such as the Medicines and Therapeutics Committee, development and approval of the annual procurement plan for the 2026/27 financial year, and development of the Institutional Medicines List for Aduku HC IV.
He added that medicines such as Phenytoin and Phenobarbital, among other critical medicines used in neonatal intensive care, had been added to the procurement list for the 2027/28 financial year.
However, Dr Okino identified several challenges, including an order fulfilment rate of 81 per cent for the 2025/26 financial year.
He said the district had also recorded an increase in cases of non-communicable diseases and other conditions, including hypertension, diabetes mellitus, sickle cell disease and road traffic injuries.
He said the increasing disease burden had created a need to increase the procurement and delivery of medicines such as Nifedipine, Amlodipine, insulin and Hydroxyurea.
Dr Bitekyerezo, the NMS team leader, urged Kwania District to strengthen forecasting and develop annual medicine procurement plans that accurately reflect the district’s local disease burden.
He cautioned health workers against polypharmacy, saying unnecessary prescription of multiple medicines could contribute to avoidable stock-outs.
Dr Bitekyerezo also warned health workers against drug pilferage, saying the vice contributes to medicine shortages and has serious legal implications, including possible dismissal from public service.
Dr Stella Nandiyi, one of the NMS Board members, commended the two facilities for good store management, noting that medicines were properly labelled and stocks were regularly updated.
She urged the district leadership to exhaust redistribution options for essential medicines and supplies at district and regional levels whenever facilities experience stock-outs.
NMS also agreed to provide a container to the District Health Department to support medicine storage.
The NMS Board members found that the majority of essential medicines and supplies were available at the two facilities visited.
The visit concluded with NMS Board members, the Chief Administrative Officer, LCV Chairperson, Resident District Commissioner and District Health Officer inspecting medicine stores at Aduku HC IV and Akali HC III.
The meeting was attended by Kwania District LCV Chairperson George Kakaoma Akacha, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Okwanga Robert Alem, Assistant Resident District Commissioner Obada Casaer, Dr David Okino, Dr Patrick Ogwal, in-charge of Aduku HC IV, and other district technical and political leaders.