Residents who rely on provincial hospitals for chronic medication say they are repeatedly being sent home without their full prescriptions, forcing some to buy medication they cannot afford, go without essential treatment or rely on home remedies to manage serious health conditions.
Those with chronic illnesses, many of whom are elderly and dependent on state healthcare, said the ongoing shortages, which the Department of Health said is mainly caused by global conflicts impacting shipping, have left them struggling to access medication they need to manage conditions such as epilepsy, kidney disease, diabetes and asthma.
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Joan Mahomed, a 70-year-old pensioner from Panorama Gardens, said it is extremely difficult when she does not receive her son’s full prescription at Northdale Hospital.
Her son, Ruwaid Mahomed (42), has been living with epilepsy since he was a baby.
She said she often has to use money from her pension to buy his medication because it is vital that he takes it consistently.
“This has been an ongoing issue and it is stressful. If my son doesn’t have his medication daily, which he takes in the morning and evening, then it places him at risk of having a seizure and it can lead to other complications,” said Mahomed.
Gladys Webster, who has kidney disease, said she was sent home with five outstanding items on a recent visit to collect her chronic medication.
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She cannot always afford to buy the medication using her R2 400 pension, so she has resorted to home remedies.
It is very costly for us as pensioners to try and buy medication that is not supplied to us. Sometimes I must use R600 to buy the special kidney medication that I need.
“If I cannot afford it, then I just listen to other residents in the queue who speak about home remedies to assist us because we simply cannot afford the medication on our own,” said Webster.
Eastwood resident Chantal Wiltwer said she transports her elderly wheelchair-bound father to the hospital each month.
She said that when he does not receive all of his prescribed medication, she has to buy whatever she can afford.
My dad takes medication for diabetes, asthma and blood pressure. We need his asthma pumps because his chest is very bad and they only give him one at times when he needs about three a month. If he doesn’t get three, then we have to buy them.
“Whenever they give us insulin it is always less than what he needs, so we either have to buy more or he has to make it last longer by only using it when necessary,” said Wiltwer.
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She said her father has also been waiting for a cataract operation for the past two years, but they have repeatedly been told that he remains on the waiting list.
KZN Department of Health spokesperson Ntokozo Maphisa said the province is experiencing supply pressure on certain medicines due to global supply chain disruptions, but assured residents that they are working on solutions to the supply strain.
He said medicines currently experiencing supply strain include Lamotrigine for epilepsy, some birth control pills, Rifampicin capsules used to treat tuberculosis, Magnesium sulphate used in maternity care, certain skin creams and ointments, and Phenobarbitone syrup used to treat epilepsy in children.
These challenges are mainly due to global conflicts that have increased shipping costs and caused delays, as well as factory slowdowns, where manufacturers have paused or reduced production.
“None of this is anyone’s fault locally,” he said.
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Maphisa said the department’s priority is ensuring that no patient goes without treatment.
“We are already providing safe alternative medicines where needed, moving stock between hospitals and provinces, arranging emergency imports when necessary, and finding new suppliers where our usual ones cannot deliver.
“We are in constant contact with suppliers, and some have indicated that certain medicines should begin returning to stock from mid-July, although timelines may vary depending on the product,” he said.
He urged patients collecting chronic medication from Central Chronic Medicine Dispensing and Distribution (CCMDD) pick-up points to be patient if they are referred back to their clinic or hospital for a review before receiving an alternative medicine.
“Please do not stop taking your medication, and speak to your nurse or pharmacist if you have any concerns,” he said.
Maphisa acknowledged that reports of medicine shortages could cause concern but stressed that the situation was being managed.
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“We apologise for any anxiety this may cause, but please rest assured that we are doing everything in our power to keep our shelves stocked and our people healthy,” he said.