Health Dept needs to do something about drug shortage

Letters

ALLOW me to express my concern on the cancer drugs shortage problem in Papua New Guinea.
My recent visit to Angau Memorial Hospital in Lae was nothing more than a very sad situation.
I was there to visit my brother in ICU ward who was admitted for cancer and to my disappointment and pain there was no cancer drugs so I had to purchase it for my brother at a pharmacy.
My brother and some other patients were in pain and could not help but to wait in pain to see some miracles happening.
It was very sad and heart ache but could not help it.
I had to rush around in hot sun to look for those drugs in private pharmacies.
This is a very clear indication that drugs shortage in a common and ongoing issue and needs urgent intervention from responsible authorities.
It was published in one of the daily newspapers that cancer drugs were brought into the country and hospital were supplied with but this was not the case at Angau Memorial General Hospital.
The good news was that the cobalt machine for cancer treatment was fixed last week while I was in Lae but the drugs for pain relief and others are not there.
So can the Health Department, hospitals and the management do something about it with urgency.
This issue is a long talked about and we cannot continue to talk about it anymore, it’s about time we need to sort out this ongoing problem once and for all.
The Government’s much talked about free healthcare policy must be effectively implemented without any of such drugs shortage problems.
If we do not do that then this policy may not see effectiveness and people/patients will be still suffering in pain.

Concerned observer, Via email