The Director of Pharmaceutical Services in the Health Ministry, Naita Nghishekwa, says the newly launched Namibia Essential Clinical Supplies list is a technical reference tool designed to align procurement, supply chain operations and facility-level management. 

The list, in a catalogue form, has integrated standardised specifications, images, and usage descriptions, ensuring that all stakeholders throughout the supply chain can operate from one reliable source.

"In some cases, product descriptions were either too generic or outdated, making it very difficult for suppliers to match exactly what our requirements are. Additionally, the absence of clear categorisation and guidance on usage often resulted in delays in decision-making and complicated inventory management. The lack of visual references was also another limitation of the previous version. There were no images or detailed descriptions on the catalogue that made it challenging for procurement officers as well as facility-based staff to verify the accuracy of the delivered items against the purchase orders."