2020: When neglect was blamed for idle medicine production unit – LABOPHAR

By The Inspirer staff

A medical production unit under the Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC) has almost been inoperative for seven years; a situation that Members of the Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said implies lack of proper planning, management, and abandonment.

PAC expressed concern over the idle medicine production unit on Friday, September 25, 2020 during a public hearing about mismanagement cases exposed by the Auditor General’s report for the financial year 2018/2019.

The report indicated that in 2011, former Procurement Agency for Medical Equipment, Drugs and Supplies (CAMERWA), and Pharmaceutical Laboratory of Rwanda (LABOPHAR) were merged and became a production unit – Medical Procurement and Production Division (MPPD) of RBC.

But, it exposed that after the merger, RBC/MPPD did not develop any strategic, feasibility study, business and annual plans to increase the performance of the factory (former LABOPHAR).

Since 2013, the report noted, its essential medicines production declined to 0 percent while the target set in the national health strategic plan was 11 percent by 2018.

As a consequence, the report said, essential medicines that were produced by MPPD like Sodium chloride 0.9% 500 ml and lactated ringer 500ml – that help treat dehydration – experience recurrent stock out at MPPD and health facilities.

The audit also found that the raw materials worth more than Rwf327 million, 8 buildings and 54 equipment are idle, while raw materials worth Rwf29 million had expired.

Factors impeding the factory’s work

RBC Director-General, Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana said that LABOPHAR was established in 1981.

He said that the reason for stopping production of some medicines since 2013 is that an audit was performed to establish whether they meet standards, and it was realised that they fall short of them based on good manufacturing practices.

“And, the buildings of that factory are outdated and do not correspond to the latest drug manufacturing system. “There is also the issue of human resources because they do not have the required skills to make modern drugs,” he told parliamentarians.

However, he said that though LABOPHAR does not work at more than 90 percent, it makes some medicines such as morphine which relieves pain for patients with serious diseases such as cancer.

MP Jeanne d’Arc Uwimanimpaye said LABOPHAR was a factory that the country needed.

“I know that the medicines it can make can have comparative advantage in this region. I am wondering why a good initiative that we got was not supported in the last seven years,” she said.

“This is a good initiative that should be expanded. What lacked to fulfill the standards? I think the Government ventures in many areas which investors are reluctant to invest in. Why didn’t the government make investments in that undertaking which is profitable,” she asked.

For MP Christine Bakundufite, claiming that LABOPHAR was left helpless because it did not meet yardsticks, is not being responsible.

“We should support domestically produced items. If we are supporting the made in Rwanda programme, why can’t we back LABOPHAR instead of just criticising it for producing substandard medicines, old equipment and personnel with poor medical skills,” she wondered.

Finding a solution to the problem is a demanding task

In line with looking for a long-term solution to the issue, Nsanzimana told lawmakers during the same session that the Agency has been working with the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) to look for investors who can overtake LABOPHAR so that it gives good yield.

However, he said, the issue is that they were not attracted by the current state of LABOPHAR.

The Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Health, Zacharie Iyakaremye said that they engaged with over 10 investors to utilise LABOPHAR for drug production, but the talks were not fruitful because of the challenges including old equipment and small land which can limit the expansion works in order to meet the size of an ideal factory.

He said that two of the investors preferred setting up pharmaceutical factories at the Kigali Special Economic Zone instead – and they started building them.

“That is why the Prime Minister set up a team in line with owning the problem as the Government in order to look for a solution to it. … We promise you to follow up on the issue. We hope that the Government will give a decision on what should be done,” he told PAC.

“That is an issue that the health sector alone cannot address. It requires the involvement of various partners including RDB so that we look for an investor,” he pointed out.