Two Medical Depot managers and another two from the provincial office have been placed on precautionary suspension following allegations of mismanagement involving expired medication.

It is alleged that the managers, amongst others, failed to report expired medication to the department. The department's Tebogo Lekgethwane says the managers are placed on suspension with immediate effect pending the investigations.

In a statement, he says the allegations levelled against them includes failure to pay service providers in due course, failure to set up systems for managing pharmaceutical services, failure to correct disparities in salaries of the depot staff despite staff members performing same responsibilities and other unfair labour practices.

Lekgethwane explains that the precautionary suspension is to make sure that the managers do not interfere with the investigations. He says they are currently working on plans to redress the challenges faced at the medical depot, which involves direct deliveries of medication to hospitals while the medical depot will now deliver directly to clinics.

He adds that a system of reporting on the disposal of expired medication and proper monitoring of stock levels is being implemented.

OFM News