Lae store says it has enough medicines

By PISAI GUMAR
THE LAE Area Medical Store has ample stocks of medicines to supply five provinces – Morobe, Northern, Eastern Highlands, Madang and Manus – an official said yesterday.
The onus and responsibility to order the medicines lie with health officers and managers in districts and provinces, he said.
Lae store technical adviser Malcolm Sapak said health officers and managers in districts and provinces had been neglecting their responsibilities to plan and submit orders on schedule.
“Madang, Manus and Northern are scheduled to submit their orders in February (this month), and Morobe and Eastern Highlands in March to ensure that the store packed their supplies on schedule,” Sapak said.
He said the store had more than enough medicines to supply the five provinces and the supplementary supply (100 per cent) kit was expected to arrive soon.
“It was too general in recent media articles to say that we’ve run out of drugs,” Sapak said.
“Many times, responsible health officers and managers are unable to send orders on time.
“That delays the delivery of their supplies.”
The Lae store’s 2012 update of the total number of health facilities in five provinces that receive supplies were Morobe 67, Madang 52, Eastern Highlands 39, Northern 23 and Manus 15.