KIRUNDO November 23rd (ABP) – The Public Service Mutual (MFP) organized at the headquarters of Kirundo province (north of Burundi) on Wednesday, November 20, 2019, an exchange meeting for its partners from the northern part of the country, Kirundo, Muyinga, Ngozi and Kayanza, a check by ABP revealed.

MFP director general Abel Gashatsi said on that occasion that a lot of projects have been implemented, including the computerization of services and the approach of affiliates who do not live in provincial headquarters or in the towns. The recent case being that of the solemn opening on Tuesday, November 19, 2019, of a counter and a pharmacy at Mukenke hospital in Bwambarangwe commune, a commune which is more remote from the headquarters of Kirundo province, which means that the partnership is achieving its objectives, said the Director General.

Nevertheless, the affiliates who participated in the meeting complain that the mutual’s pharmacies do not have sufficient medicines, or that they are expensive. They also mentioned the difficulty of accessing the MFP card for people living far from provincial headquarters. The MFP explained to them that this problem is not due solely to the Mutual, since there is the problem of public procurement procedures that makes the ordering of drugs take a lot of time, which causes breaks in stocks.

Affiliates have indicated that there are many drugs that are on the Burundi market and considered specialties, even though they are truly generic. Marie Noëlle Uwineza of the MFP explained that the Mutual is reviewing the list of reimbursable medicines, in collaboration with some experts from the Ministry of Public Health, which can give hope that things will change.

The socio-cultural adviser of the governor, Mr. Rémy Bigerumusase, thanked the MFP for opening a counter and a pharmacy at the Mukenke hospital, which shows the concern of that institution for the good health of its affiliates.