DISTRIBUTION
One of the core functions of the Trust is to distribute medicines and medical supplies to the hospitals. This function happens in two phases.
PHASE ONE
This is where medicines and medical supplies are taken from our main receipt warehouse (Mantino) in LIlongwe and sent to our three branches (Mzuzu, Lilongwe and Blantyre). This is an internal process and an internal arrangement. The distribution basically follows a PUSH system whereby Mantino warehouse decides what to send to the branches without necessarily input from the branches. The reason is that the branch warehouses act as the main sales agents for the Trust. So the Mantino Warehouse basically tries to stock those sales warehouses. The medicines and medical supplies are therefore sent to Blantyre, Lilongwe and Mzuzu based on a 45:35:20 ratio respectively. The reason for such rations is that the Blantyre Branch serves more health facilities (Districts) compared to Lilongwe and again Lilongwe also serves relatevely more than Mzuzu.
Mantino has about a fleet of seven (7) vehicles for distribution including the 30-tonne van truck. The other trucks are 7 and 10 tonnes
The trucks deliver the medicines to the branches every week.
PHASE TWO
This is where oir Branches deliver the medicines and medical supplies to the health facilities. All health facilities are expected to send their requisitions to the Branch that is in their region by the 10th of every month. Once this is done the Pharmacist-In-Charge together with the Branch Manager for the branch warehouse consolidate the list of the requisitions and pick out the items that are available in the warehouse. These items are assembled for dispatch to the health facilities and they constitute a normal supply for the health facilities.
Once the assemblies have been done, each branch makes arrangement to deliver the medicines and medical supplies to the health facilities in their region using the fleet of vehicles that belong to the branch office.
From 1st July 2014, CMST signed a contract with Imperial Health Sciences to Deliver medicines and medical supplies that are procured by DFID and to also deliver the items that are procured by the Trust independtly from the donors. The contract will run for 18 months and is expected to end in December 2015.