Hospital out of drugs for 10 months
By Rebecca Kuku
THE Kaugere Urban Clinic in Port Moresby has been facing a shortage of medicine for more than 10 months, forcing it to buy supplies from pharmacies and resell to patients at a reduced price.
Clinic administrator Josephine Mamis told the Public Accounts Committee inquiry into the procurement, supply and distribution of medicine that from September last year to July this year, the clinic had no medicine supply and had to give 50 to 60 patients prescriptions daily.
“Sometimes we would use our own money to buy medicine for those we knew could not afford to.
“And sometimes we bought medicines from the pharmacies and resold them at half price to help our patients,” Mamis said.
“The revenue to purchase medicines and resell at half prices was done through a nominal clinic fee of K2 that was charged to patients.
“But we also used our discretion to not charge K2 for those who could not afford it.
“We placed orders with the Area Medical Store but every time we followed up during those 10 months, we were told there was no supply in stock.”
Mamis said they needed to raise funds to purchase medicine for patients.
“We have patients from Moresby South and other parts of Port Moresby, including some from as far as Central and Gulf,” she said.
Mamis said the clinic finally received a supply of medicine in July this year.
“But again it wasn’t really a full order.
“The 100 per cent medical kits have also been supplied twice.
“However, we do not need most of the items in the medical kits so we donate it to other clinics in the city,” she said.
Mamis said the clinic faced a shortage of basic medicines such as amoxicillin, septrin, panadol and salbutamol.
4 comments
Department of Health is currently facing corruption particularly supplying medicines. Kaugere is just close to the city but think about other remote places in other parts of the country. Very tough and people dying everyday due to lack treatment and medication.
That is correct Kama, but people who are involved in stealing those monies are facing terrible death. Believe, Nature takes care,,,,
Satan has already claims the souls of the corrupt officials named by the PAC and hell fire awaits them. I put a curse on their families that benefited from the innocent people of this nation. They deserve nothing less.
That is the SOLE reason why sick people have sought the services of “Witch-Doctors, Glassman, Herbsman and the hosts.”
It is unbearable if I had to explain how this is promoting anti-microbial resistance- a situation we will be facing in the next decade when our mainline drugs will not be able to cure the commonest of illnesses like pneumonia, diarhhoea, malaria, etc.
When this anti-microbial resistance hits us, our doctors will be prescribing not only one but two or three other drugs to kill off the one bacteria that only one drug is able to do now.
When that happens, you know, our citizens will not have the kind of money to purchase those drugs and so we will die off in droves.
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