Officials from the KwaZulu-Natal Health Department (KZN Health) are actively addressing difficulties in medication supplies caused by global pressure on supply chains. Despite these logistical challenges, the department emphasizes that ensuring patient care remains the top priority.
In July, the department reported issues with stocks of drugs such as anti-epileptic agents (Phenobarbital), tuberculosis medications (Rifampicin), and contraceptive pills. In the same month, the Gauteng Department of Health refuted claims that patients at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital were being deprived of vital medicines due to shortages.
The department acknowledged existing problems within the public health system, which are continuously monitored through established clinical practice and supply chain management processes to maintain continuity of patient treatment.
In June, during a parliamentary response, Health Minister Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi stated that there are frequent interruptions in the stock of antibiotics (Ciprofloxacin, Fluocytosine, Fosfomycin, and Mebendazole), tuberculosis treatments (products containing Rifampicin), oncology drugs (Bleomycin, Carboplatin, Docetaxel, and Filgrastim), insulin, as well as certain pediatric antiretroviral drugs (Nevirapine and Lamivudine).
KZN Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane mentioned that the ongoing conflict in the Middle East is affecting the procurement of certain pharmaceutical preparations and necessary ingredients. She clarified that even if some hospitals experience shortages, the Health Department mandates doctors to prescribe suitable therapeutic alternatives, ensuring every patient receives the necessary treatment.
Simelane noted: 'It is true that what we usually look for has changed its source or become different from before. This is an issue that has been advocated for even at the national level because, ultimately, all these medicines are purchased from the national (department) or received from the national.'
KZN Health head Penny Msimango added that this issue is widely discussed. Weekly meetings are held to identify problems and critical shortages. Msimango explained: 'We want to clarify that this issue is related to global problems that prevent us from obtaining some of the things we need, such as medicines. We have discussed this in detail, but we said we would send teams to visit districts and hospitals to check which hospital is experiencing the greatest shortage so they can share with other hospitals and districts.'
She also stressed that staff must not direct uninsured patients to purchase medicines independently. If a medication is unavailable, staff are obliged to inform the hospital management to find internal alternatives instead of prescribing it for the patient to purchase themselves.
Manager of the provincial pharmaceutical supply warehouse, Tandeka Ndjafa, explained that supply pressures currently affect vital medications, especially in tablet form, intended for treating chronic and mental illnesses. She clarified that this does not mean a complete absence of medicine; rather, doctors use therapeutic analogues—drugs that perform the same function as the originally prescribed course—to ensure treatment consistency.
Ndjafa stated: 'Because there are drug problems, we are not just sitting around; we are trying to buy. You find that supplier A does not have it; we go to B, C, until we reach D. We move it, we share it.'
She added that if a medicine is unavailable due to delivery delays, staff collect the patient's contact details instead of refusing them. They then obtain the medicine from other facilities or alternative suppliers, with some organizing delivery so patients receive their prescriptions without having to search for them themselves. Ndjafa urged people to remain calm, reminding them that the national department has also taken measures: it checks other provinces and borrows from them, and regularly conducts meetings and site inspections for rapid intervention.