The main headline in the
first page of al-Wafd newspaper on Sunday, November 27 was: “medications’
crisis hits health system”… with a subtitle reading: “mafia stands behind
disappearance of diabetes, cardio, chest, orthopedics, anaemia medications and medical solutions”…
Everyone knows that the
head of al-Wafd party is Dr. Sayed el-Badawi; one of the big names in the
pharmaceutical industry in Egypt… and so, al-Wafd newspaper investigative about
medications enjoys a special kind of credibility… the thing that makes me
continue what I have started around the medications’ issue in Egypt and the necessity
to open all its files.
I have already received
comments and phone calls regarding the matter… most important, honest and clear
of them was that of another big name; who had a long history in the pharmaceutical
industry during the sixties… the man said he is in favor of the necessity to
have an independent entity supervising the pharmaceutical policy in Egypt and that
should be kept away from the negative issues regarding medication… most
dangerous of these negative issues is the lack of experience of health ministers
who usually come from the medicine sector… and so, the problem being discussed
is subjected to politics and empty speeches which eventually badly affect the
pharmaceutical industry in Egypt… in addition to some who make use of
medications’ subordination to the ministry as money keeps flooding from the
fees imposed over registration and other activities and then turns into bonuses.
I received another
comment from professor Dr. Muhammd Ra’ouf Hamed whom I depended on a study of
his in previous articles I wrote… I here excerpt part of what he said – due to
the limited space – around the comments I received:
“all these comments say “enough supreme councils
in everything because they became synonym for non-effectiveness and corruption”…
Let me tell you that I totally agree to this point of view, due to the reality we
live… as there are already tens of supreme councils that we definitely would have
been better in all fields if most of them were up to the tasks assigned to
them.
In such regard, I have
two notices:
First: the supreme council
for medication is an “entity” with a major task of managing the development of
national industry of medications, planning and applying policies of making
medication available for citizens… being an entity, it means it is a system
that can hold the name of the supreme council for medication or any other
suitable name.
The important thing is
that this entity should be the one entitled to organizing, following and
developing all the national affairs of medications which shall be under its
control; like responsibilities, tasks and systems… whether these systems were
governmental, investment, private, public sector…etc.
Second: in order for
this entity to succeed in fulfilling its mission, it has to work according to a
scientific methodology in the first place and through the systematic discipline
which basically means three things:
First thing: conditions
and future aspects of policies, strategies, applications and evaluations are built
upon the basis that all national or local entities of medications; whether
inside or outside the government, are part of one system.
Here we shall mention
that the system is identified as: parts with interconnections that look like
one entity due to the organization of such interconnections.
Second thing: any system
is somehow part of a bigger system and, in the same time, involves smaller
systems within it.
This applies accordingly
to all pharmaceutical systems as a whole.
Third thing: every
system has main five functions, no matter how high or low the level of the
system is.
These main or general
functions are as follow:
1- the first function,
described as a “political” function, has to do with identifying the main and
secondary targets of the system. It is a process where choosing and preferring among
alternatives is practiced.
2- the second function,
called the “intelligence” function, has to do with knowing the possible
alternatives regarding to the system targets… also, finding the information
from the surrounding environment, as these information helps discover and
anticipate the opportunities, obstacles, challenges and threats.
And so, this function
has a special importance in the competitiveness domain.
3- the third function;
the “operation” function, includes dedicating the human and materialistic
resources and following and rationalizing work.
4- the fourth function
has to do with the coordination between the different parts of the system or between
other lower systems and one another.
5- the fifth function
has to do with the following that every system has the four mentioned-above
functions in the lower systems with the desired performance… in the same way,
every small system has five functions toward the smaller systems that
subordinate to it…etc.
And so, systems become
stronger and more developed or weaker and decay as per how they succeed in fulfilling
its five general functions, regardless the name given to the national system of
medications is.
So, the system, as a
methodology and standard, is a way of developing and evaluation for all
practices and entities… whether on the level of the field or the nation as a
whole… also, it is a way to predict the problems and challenges like it is a
way to face any problems or challenges.
Not to mention that
medication has particular aspects regarding competitiveness, planning, developing,
availability to who need it, marketing…etc. that makes it – medication –
vulnerable to any weakness in policies, strategies and management.
Regards,
Muhammed Ra’ouf Hamed
November 26, 2016
Finally, I invite all
interested in this strategic and pivotal issue to work together to come up with
specific suggestions by all parties… so that pharmaceutical industry in Egypt
flourish.
Translated into English by: Dalia Elnaggar
Translated into English by: Dalia Elnaggar
This
article was published in Almasry Alyoum newspaper on November 30, 2016.
To
see the original article, go to:
#almasry_alyoum
#ahmed_elgammal #Egypt #pharmaceutical_industry #medication
