The country continues to incur losses due to the increasing volumes of drugs expiring in Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC) storage, something the auditor-general has attributed to failure by the body to “set and monitor appropriate stock levels.”

The recently released auditor-general’s report pointed out that drugs and medical consumables worth Rwf1.2 billion ($1.5 million) expired between 2010 and 2015, while donor stock under the management of RBC worth Rwf2.7 billion ($3.4 million) expired between 2012 and 2015.

The condition threatens the quantity and quality of medicine available to patients.

Towards the end of last year, at the height of a malaria resurgence, the country suffered a sever shortage in malaria drugs, and for the auditor-general to report that whole consignments of drugs that the country spends money on expires in storage sends a really bad message.

READ: Public concern over shortage of malaria drugs in Rwanda

The government created the RBC following complaints of expired drugs attributed to incompetence in the ministry of health. The RBC was to among other functions mainstream medical procurement processes.

READ: Riddle of expired drugs in Rwandan hospitals

The report also indicates that medicine worth Rwf172.7 million ($220,600) and wooden boxes worth Rwf25 million ($31,940) stolen at RBC have not been recovered, which further points to drug storage and management flaws at the body.

In most instances drugs are ordered without properly determining the quantities needed at a particular time, hence the stockpiling drugs which end up expiring.

“MPPD management should ensure that mechanisms are put in place to determine appropriate quantities of drugs and other medical supplies to be procured in light of the anticipated usage requirements.

“Re-order levels for each stock item should be determined and set in the stock management system and strictly observed in procurement of stock items” reads the report.

There are also gaps in adherence to minimum shelf-life requirements, which requirements should be clearly stipulated in contracts with suppliers.

“It is really sad that RBC cannot perform ensure that government procures the right amount of drugs, to avoid putting these drugs to waste,” said a pharmacy owner in Kigali.

The report also highlighted gaps in proper inspection of deliveries and any other items found not to comply should be rejected out-rightly, an issue which has come out recently as a life threatening loophole, after patients were injected with a flawed anaesthetic drug at La croix de sud hospital.

The victims lodged a collective suit against the hospital, however the case exposed an absence of a mechanism of testing the authenticity of drugs that come from outside. Unlike consumer goods which are tested by Rwanda Bureau of Standards, for drugs, once the manufacturer is found to have a proper licence, the drugs are imported and delivered to hospitals.

READ: Kisementi hospital probed over bad drug saga

RBC’s unreliable financial statements were also a point of concern in the report. They had “significant unsupported transactions and balances” which the report said is a manifestation of failure of RBC to properly account for funds at its disposal.

The value of stock of medicine counted at June 30, 2015 of Rwf28.6 billion ($36.5 million) was less than stock value per books of account of Rwf29.3 billion ($37.4 million) by Rwf713.6 million ($911,550)

Despite several efforts made, there was no response from RBC. The auditor-general has in the past also faulted the government medical supply Camerwa, King Faisal hospital and district pharmacies of taking long to dispose off the expired drugs, which caused fears that these drugs can cause environmental and health dangers.

Rwanda is one of the developing countries that is struggling with health financing options, with a big number of the poor unable to afford out-of the pocket health care, while others can’t access community based health insurance scheme for their households because they claim to have been grouped as rich in Ubudehe classifications.

A large share of the donor financing allocated to Rwanda goes to the health sector, to be used for among other things to buy medicine.