The African Transformation Movement has called for a parliamentary inquiry into medicine theft, pharmaceutical smuggling and the protection of South Africa's indigenous health systems following concerns over medicines being diverted abroad.
The African Transformation Movement (ATM) has called on Parliament to launch an inquiry into the theft and illegal export of medicines from South Africa's public healthcare system, saying medicines bought with taxpayers' money are being diverted from clinics and hospitals and smuggled out of the country.
In a letter to Portfolio Committee on Health chairperson Faith Muthambi, ATM parliamentary leader Vuyo Zungula requested that the committee prioritise a comprehensive parliamentary inquiry during its Third Term Programme into the illegal export and smuggling of South African medicinal products, the theft of public healthcare resources, and the protection of the country's traditional and indigenous health systems.
Zungula said South Africa invested billions of rand each year to procure medicines, vaccines and other essential pharmaceutical products for the public healthcare system, but recent events had raised serious concerns about whether those medicines were reaching the patients they were intended to serve.
