MoH goes flexible on medicine dispensation

Right to Care Program Coordinator Makatleho Sejana Thoboloko Ntionyane MASERU

The chronic patients have been given flexible replenishment of their medication from now on following the launch of the Bonolomeds program which will see the innovative and flexible dispensation of the medications to the patients. Last Wednesday, the Ministry of Health MoH in partnership with the Right to Care launched this program at the Ministry’s headquarters in Maseru. Speaking at the launch, the Right to Care Program Coordinator `Makatleho Sejana said this program is intended to improve the accessibility of the medication.

The Program Coordinator said the central dispensation units prepare the medication per the Doctors and Nurses distribution then makes them available to the patients through the pickup points. Sejana said Bonolomeds program is the chronic medicine convenient access which is intended to improve accessibility to drugs by chronic stable patients. She said it will be enrolled in Maseru district and could be accessed at 16 alternative points, which include the chemists, health facilities and the smart lockers every time they run short of supply.

Sejana said they have a call centre manned by the Nurses and Pharmacists, which operates 24 7 where the patients can interact with them. She further said they will dispatch a short message service sms which will be used to communicate with the patients and to remind them to replenish their medication, adding that there is a toll free number which the patients can use.

“Our country is faced with retention challenges with the overburdened and overcrowded health facilities and in the advent of the COVID19 there is an urgent need to promote social distancing. As Right to Care we have been given the mandate by the United States Agency for International Development USAID to support the Ministry of Health with the achievement of the epidemic control. Our aim is to make sustainable and maintain epidemic through decentralising drug delivery,” she said.

The Ministry of Health Director Disease Control Dr Llang MaamaMaime said the program responds to the call of the Sustainable Development Goals SDGs which call for access to quality medicines. The Director for Disease Control said it is going to make life easy for the patients adding that the family planning products will be accessed through this arrangement. Dr MaamaMaime further highlighted that the program is going to retain chronic patients under care and that they “will have no excuse”. She said also this will help decongest the health facilities.

The United Stated Agency for International Development USAID Country Deputy Director Ian Membe said the program is “unique” and “innovative” adding that it is going to make it easy for treatment of HIV AIDS patients. He said the country is now at the watershed moment wherein 98 percent of the HW patients are on treatment. Membe said Bonolomeds has made it easy for people to access their drugs adding that this program decentralise the distribution of the medication. The eight participating health centres in Maseru are Baylor College of Medicine Clinic, Maseru Seventh Day Adventist Clinic, St. Joseph’s Hospital, Makoanyane Military Hospital, Queen II Hospital, Thamae Clinic, Sankatana Clinic and Domiciliary Clinic.

This service is free for users. The universal health coverage promotes access to health services to patients “when and where they need them, without financial hardship”. It will run for five years after which the Right to Care will deliver it to the MoH.