All the 30 district pharmacies yesterday received trucks to ease transportation of medicine from the pharmacies to health facilities within their respective jurisdictions.The trucks are custom-made to ensure constant temperature, between 20-25 degree Celsius, for the safety of drugs and medical consumables.The pharmacies are obliged to supply medicine to 432 health centres, countrywide, and to district hospitals. Dr Agnes Binagwaho, the Minister of Health, said the trucks will ensure that health facilities receive medical supplies faster.“Coordination will be simplified at the district level. Health facilities will no longer have to pick medicine from district pharmacies, it will instead be taken to them,” she said.Emmanuel Bimenyimana, the Director of Rusizi District pharmacy, said transport was a big challenge for them.“Sometimes we use motorcycles or hire cars, and this was a bit costly. Some drugs are also sensitive to weather patterns and temperatures...it’s great that the trucks have favourable temperature for storage of drugs,” he said.He noted that the district pharmacy usually spends an estimated Rwf500, 000 monthly on distribution.
