The SEN-PNA on the verge of financial collapse: The inter-union group warns of a threat to Senegal's health sovereignty.

The SAS-SAMES inter-union group at the Senegalese National Pharmaceutical Supply Company (SEN-PNA) is sounding the alarm. In a press release, the workers' representatives denounce a worrying deterioration in the financial and organizational situation of the public company, arguing that its survival is now essential to guaranteeing Senegal's health sovereignty.

According to the inter-union group, the main threat lies in the accumulation of debts owed by the State to SEN-PNA under several national health programs. The total amount of unpaid bills is estimated at 28.364 billion CFA francs, a situation that is seriously undermining the financial capacity of the institution responsible for supplying the country with medicines and health products.

Union representatives explain that several health programs suffer from insufficient funding. The allocated budgets do not cover the actual needs, thus forcing the SEN-PNA to bear an increasingly heavy financial burden to maintain the continuity of public service.

They add to this situation the recurring delays in the reimbursement of sums owed by the state. The dialysis program is specifically cited as the main source of financial strain. This accumulation of unpaid bills significantly reduces the company's ability to replenish its inventory, honor its contractual obligations, and invest in improving its performance.

The inter-union group is also raising the alarm about the explosion of debts owed to suppliers. Faced with payment delays, several trading partners are now adopting a firm stance, some even going so far as to suspend deliveries. Union leaders warn that such a situation could lead to drug shortages and jeopardize the population's access to essential healthcare products.

Beyond the financial difficulties, workers are denouncing recruitment practices they deem insufficiently transparent. They believe that several hires made outside the company's actual needs have contributed to increasing the payroll and exacerbating budget imbalances. They are advocating for a human resources management policy based on competence, merit, and transparency.

In response to this crisis, the inter-union group has issued several recommendations. These include the swift settlement of outstanding debts owed to SEN-PNA, the establishment of a sustainable financing mechanism for national health programs, the preservation of the company's economic viability, and the direct disbursement of funds allocated to the national dialysis program to SEN-PNA. The unions are also demanding the reinstatement of the SR-PRA workers in Dakar, whom they believe were unjustifiably reassigned, and the establishment of a forum for dialogue on this issue.

In their statement, union leaders appealed to public authorities, technical and financial partners, and the nation as a whole to provide urgent support to this strategic institution. They reaffirmed their willingness to participate in any discussions that could lead to lasting solutions, while warning that they could not remain silent in the face of a situation that directly threatens the continuity of the country's drug supply.

For the inter-union group, "saving SEN-PNA means preserving Senegal's health sovereignty, guaranteeing the population's right to health and protecting a strategic tool at the service of the nation."