Issues with medicines

Letters

THE CSTB has re-advertised a tender for the 100 per cent medical supply kits to all health centres and aid posts throughout Papua New Guinea (The National, Oct 26).
From previous tenders, it is common knowledge that Borneo Pacific Pharmaceuticals Ltd will win this Tender CSTB 3847.
Though, the contract is valid after the last tender in November 2017.
In that, it is a periodic contract renewed over three years.
Borneo Pacific Pharmaceuticals Ltd first tendered in December 2013 and won.
Since then, the contract has faced with funding issues and delays in the supply of 100% medical supply kits to provinces.
For example, last year no kits were supplied. Supplies were delayed until March 2018 this year delivered on a new contract.
Secondly, there are no consultations with the provincial health offices.
As a result there are technical issues relating to the kind of pharmaceuticals purchased for supply and whether the supplies are appropriate, applicable to each level of health facilities or in sufficient quantities.
Without involving the provincial health offices technical officers, discrepancies are noted in the set of kits in terms of weights (volumes), number of boxes, facility
destinations, markings and total kits delivered to provinces or regions.
There should be an established communication link with provincial health offices and those involved in monitoring.
Problems include:

  • The supply of kits not matching the tender specifications.
    Like the visual and physical presentation of the medical supply kits.
  • List of health centres/hospitals and aid posts not corresponding to provincial records.
  • Status of facilities outdated and a large number of existing and operating facilities omitted.
  • Repeated occurrences of facility names and duo levels designated.

The exclusion of provincial base hospitals from the supply list of the tender gives rise to the question as to what level of facilities should receive these supplies.
Inclusion of facility names from bordering provinces or non-existing facilities.
In the five years to this date; this contract has been tendered three times – December 2013, November 2017 and now October 2018.
The supplies were not
delivered on time during 2016 and 2017.
It is likely that the delay and the tender are due to financial constraints and administrative/technical processes of the tender and specifications.
The delay defeats the sole purpose of the 100% medical supply kit system.
The kit system in the interim covers for shortfalls until the full supply arrives from the Area Medical Stores (AMS) to the hospitals or health centres.
This puts the lives of people at risk.
They need medical attention at this time that many of the health facilities are reporting shortage of medical supplies.

Barola