Department of Health 2025/08/10 - 22:00
​Medicine availability across public health facilities remains consistently high, despite ongoing global pharmaceutical supply constraints.
According to the National Department of Health's monitoring dashboard, Gauteng currently leads the country in medicine availability. Hospitals in the province maintain an average of 95% availability for all formulary medicines and 98% for essential medicines, with no systemic stock-outs reported in the past or current financial year.
This strong performance comes amid global shortages of key medications such as rifampicin and isoniazid, critical treatments for tuberculosis. Gauteng has successfully implemented contingency measures, including sourcing therapeutic alternatives and enhancing planning with clinical and pharmaceutical teams, to ensure uninterrupted patient care.
In terms of governance, the Medical Supplies Depot received an unqualified audit opinion from the Auditor-General for the 2024/25 financial year, with no findings of non-compliance related to medicine procurement and distribution. The Depot also achieved a clean performance audit against its strategic objectives.
Supplier payment timelines have improved significantly, with average payment periods reduced from 31 days to 15 days. This has strengthened supplier relationships and improved turnaround times for stock replenishment.
The GDoH acknowledges that while healthcare delivery requires ongoing improvement, it remains committed to strengthening supply chain management, modernising systems, and maintaining oversight to meet the needs of Gauteng's growing population.
Members of the public are encouraged to report any specific challenges at facility level so that issues can be promptly addressed through appropriate district or provincial structures.
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