Drugs held up at wharf over unpaid fees

MEDICINE to treat tuberculosis and HIV/AIDs were held at the wharf in Port Moresby for more than five months because of unpaid K120,000 storage fees, it was revealed yesterday.
World Vision country director Heather MacLeod told the Public Accounts Committee conducting an inquiry into the procurement, supply and distribution of medicine that the medicine supplies were awaiting the payment of the storage fees.
“The drugs were held at the wharf for over five months from June to October.
“We were told by the Health Department that they could not pay the outstanding fees due to funding delay from the Government,” MacLeod said.
She therefore believed that the shortage of medicine in the country was also due to cash-flow problems.
“(It) causes delay in medicine arriving on time and getting distributed on time and arriving on time.”
She also believed that there should be a change in management to help address the issue.
“Our job is to work with them and not in parallel with them. And I believe it really comes down to the people. There has to be people in place who want change and will work to see change. So there should be a change in management,” she said.
Deputy committee chairman Gary Juffa thanked World Vision for the support.