Boko Pleads for Patience Over Meds Crisis

Amid growing reports that the medicine shortage is costing lives, President Duma Boko has appealed for patience, saying his government is working to dismantle years of corruption, procurement failures and systemic weaknesses blamed for the crisis Addressing residents at Monarch kgotla in Francistown, Boko said the shortage of essential medicines was not a problem that emerged overnight, but the result of a procurement system he described as deeply flawed and vulnerable to abuse. His remarks come amid growing public frustration over shortages of critical medicines in health facilities, with some citizens questioning why the government has struggled to restore consistent supplies months after taking office. Boko said the crisis was rooted in past practices where medicines were allegedly procured in excessive quantities, resulting in wastage, expiry and financial losses.

“Medicines were sometimes purchased for populations far beyond actual demand, creating situations where supplies expired before reaching patients. Government also paid inflated prices,” he said. He cited the destruction of expired medicines worth P95 million as evidence of the scale of the problem.

Critics argue that while investigating past failures is necessary, citizens currently facing medicine shortages need urgent interventions and accountability measures against those responsible for previous procurement failures. Questions have also been raised over why no individuals have been held accountable for alleged wrongdoing linked to past procurement practices, despite repeated references to corruption and systemic failures.