Staff Reporter
THE Executive Director (ED) of the Ministry of Health, Penda Ithindi, has confirmed that several staff members have been implicated in corruption involving the theft and diversion of pharmaceutical supplies.
“The Ministry of Health and Social Services wishes to inform the public that it has uncovered information suggesting that certain staff members within the Ministry, particularly at the Central Medical Stores (CMS), may be complicit in fraudulent activities. These activities allegedly include the manipulation of stock data and theft and diversion of pharmaceutical supplies within the national supply chain,” Ithindi revealed.
He noted that the suspected manipulation of stock-level data, together with the diversion of these critical resources, has led to the deliberate creation of artificial shortages, possibly aimed at causing public alarm and prompting emergency procurement measures.
“The Ministry treats these allegations with the utmost seriousness and has consequently launched a comprehensive internal investigation. With immediate effect, the staff members implicated have been formally reassigned away from the specific Central Medical Stores functions, pending the outcome of the investigation,” Ithindi said.
Ithindi added that should the investigation find the individuals guilty, both disciplinary action and criminal proceedings will follow, with those responsible facing the full force of the law.
“The Ministry remains fully committed to rooting out systemic corruption and self-enrichment, restoring integrity within the pharmaceutical supply chain, and ensuring that all public health facilities are adequately stocked to serve the health needs of the Namibian population,” Ithindi added.
Picture for illustrative purposes only. Photo: Contributed
