Tunisian medicine drive boosts health care for needy
2009-09-16
A charitable initiative by Tunisia's Health Ministry, the National Agency for Waste Disposal, and the Tunisian Union for Social Solidarity has collected thousands of boxes of medicine.
By Jamel Arfaoui for Magharebia in Tunis – 16/09/09
 [Jamel Arfaoui] 13-year-old Karem Cheherli brings medical supplies to a Tunisian collection centre as part of a drive to collect medicines. |
Tunisia wrapped up a week-long nationwide drive to collect medicine and medical equipment for charity on Sunday (September 13th) after having collected over 3,000 boxes of donations.
"I'm proud of Tunisians' generosity and their strong sense of civic duty," Tunisian Health Minister Mondher Zenaidi told Magharebia while inspecting the collection tent in the Al Khadra neighbourhood in midtown Tunis. "As you can see, the wave of solidarity among Tunisians never stops," he said.
"It's easy to predict that we'll do even better than last year, when we collected one million dinars' worth of medicine and equipment," a source at the country's central pharmacy told Magharebia.
Last year, the drive targeted donations from pharmaceutical companies. But this year, the organisers decided to include ordinary citizens, under the slogan "Other People Need the Medicines You Donate". The 2009 effort was organised by the Tunisian Union for Social Solidarity in co-operation with the Ministry of Health and the National Agency for Waste Disposal.
"After the success of last year's campaign, President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali decided to expand [the drive] to include all Tunisians, and not to restrict it to pharmaceutical companies," said Kamel Eddine Edir, the general director of the Ministry of Health's pharmacy and medicines unit.
Edir, who is also an expert at the World Health Organization, told Magharebia in a statement that the drive aims to help patients in need of medicines.
"It is also to help Tunisian families dispose of surplus medications that turn into life- and environment-threatening poisons if disposed of haphazardly," said Edir. "So we had the National Agency for Waste Disposal take part in this campaign to help us sort out the useable medicines [among the donations]."
"Tunisia imports 5 million dinars worth of medications every year," added the health expert. "Half of these imports are made through the Health Ministry."
Edir said that between 1990 and 2008, the amount earmarked to buy medicines for public health agencies increased from 90 million to 200 million dinars, accounting for 70% of the health ministry's budget.
Through the recent medicine drives, the Tunisian Union for Social Solidarity is seeking to expand its activities to include the creation of a charity medicine bank.
Union president Charfeddine Guellouz said the bank will be used by health organisations that provide services to holders of free-of-charge and discounted treatment cards, as well as by mobile teams that work for senior citizens in families and nursing homes, and by associations that care for children and senior citizens who lack family support.
"We want [the bank] to be a strong source of support for needy families, low-income people and those with special needs, through the medicines and medical and medical-related equipment it will provide free of charge," Abdelkarim Hamrouni, president of the National Council of Pharmacists, said in a statement.
Hamrouni suggested last week a system in which medicines could be collected by placing collection boxes at private pharmacies. People could contribute there, and the Tunisian Union for Social Solidarity would receive the donations on a regular basis.
The humanitarian initiative "greatly needs people's support so that we can ensure its continuation," Hamrouni added.
"I wanted to contribute as much as I could," said Khadija Ouartani as she carried a bag of medicines and a device for measuring blood pressure to the collection site. "I know quite well that the medications for diabetes are expensive, especially for poor patients."
"I'm happy with what I'm doing today because I'm helping to relieve the suffering of a patient in this holy month, and my reward will be double," she added.
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Anonymous Posted 2009-09-16
I would like to compliment the author of this article, who has exposed the arrogance of the dictatorial regime that has seized Tunisia and is holding it hostage. The article opens with "A charitable initiative by Tunisia's Health Ministry". Tunisia's government, including its president, is in the service of the citizens who pay it to serve them and do not ask for charity from it. This concept still has not been digested by the dictatorship, which is led like an occupying force. A bit later we read that President Ben Ali decided to extend the charitable initiative to all the citizens. In civilised countries, charitable initiatives come from non-governmental organisations which are not under the thumb of the authorities. They do the work of bringing awareness to public opinion. Such organisations would put a stick in Tunisia's spokes: the government, jealous of its own prerogatives, has monopolised everything in order to reinforce the idea of the people's complete dependence on the dictatorship. Tunisia's president behaves like a God of Olympus, whose decrees are but arbitrary. He even decrees what percentage of voters should vote for the so-called "parliamentarians" he has chosen to make up his governmental majority just as he declared what percentage of decorative opposition he wants. During the course of his presidency, his so-called "adversaries" have only been zombies, who do not even know the salary of the Head of State and who do not even dare pose such a question for fear of angering the God of Olympus. This article also unmasks Tunisian solidarity, for example, with the lady who is caring for a suffering patient in order to receive double pay. What a beautiful example of altruism and civility in a country where everything is decided from above.
maaroufi mouldi Posted 2009-09-26
In some eastern countries and civilisations heads of states who excel in improving peoples lives and holy people are given status of GODS.While tunisians and arabs in general are suspicious of any free help and to title a charity with the decision taken by the president is the correct decision and makes the people happy to accept it .Let us not forget that when BEN ALI took over the country was listed as top priority for disasters and help in general the country was poor divided lazy and on the edge of destruction even milk and butter was imported (iam sure the anonymous blogger knows) and when you see that today TUNISIA'S BEN ALI is great exporter of food and more the first country who contributes material help to any country in need without any condition makes you proud and happy to have this great man at the helm ,when you see the wealth is distributed equally makes you more joyous.Make BEN ALI a candidate for nobel peace price or even better KING OF TUNISIA after all the fruit of an apple tree is an apple that will also give apple trees , may he leave long and prosper.
Anonymous Posted 2009-09-28
May he leave soon.
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