Inquiry: Flaws in medical delivery

 Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee John Hickey has stressed the weaknesses of the Health Department on the distribution of medical supplies and equipment. 

During an inquiry into Central Supplies Tender Board in Port Moresby, Hickey told the board that the kits from the Health Department were not reaching their targets but stored at the provincial hospitals.

He said his people from Bogia had suffered from lack of medicines for the last two years and some people had died because of no proper drugs. 

“There are also lots of fake drugs being sold at the markets today in Port Moresby and other centres of PNG,” Hickey said.

In response, the president of the National Doctors Association Dr James Naipao said drugs were produced from foreign countries and were exported to PNG.

He said the Health Department had bought two special machines that would detect fake drugs (medicines) from genuine ones on their arrival in PNG.