The Minister of Health and Social Services, Dr. Kalumbi Shangula, has informed the National Assembly that the tender for procuring essential medicines submitted last year remains unresolved due to ongoing legal challenges. 

The Minister was responding to an inquiry by Republican Party MP Herlinde Tjiveze, who raised concerns about the lack of essential medicines.

The Health Minister outlined the challenges faced under the Public Procurement Act, which mandates that public entities procure medicines through the Central Procurement Board. 

"As a public entity, we are required to procure medicine in line with the Public Procurement Act. This act often prescribes that procurement must be done through the Social Procurement Board, which advertises and adjudicates the tenders. Regarding the medicines, our tender was submitted in 2021, but it has not been finalised yet. It has gone through different processes, facing various challenges. The awards have been contested by different bidders, reviewed by a panel, and brought to the high court. Currently, it is within the Supreme Court and has not yet been finalised since 2021."

To mitigate the impact, the Health Ministry has looked into alternative measures within the legal framework.

This includes obtaining an exemption from the Minister of Finance and Public Enterprises to facilitate emergency procurement.