Medical drug emergency funding diverted to offset loans

By GLORIA BAUAI
Morobe health authority has used the K2 million drug shortage emergency funds from Morobe government given last year to offset loans and set up a buffer stock for the districts.
Chief executive officer Dr Kipas Binga said at least K500,000 was approved to clear out debts accrued during the drug shortage period last year.
“We were getting funds to support us during the drug shortage time so we had outstanding bills we needed to offset, to be able to continue good relationship with our service providers,” he said.
He said the other K1.5 million was allocated for the districts.
“Over the festive season, we bought about K200,000 worth of drugs (from the K1.5 million) through a supplier, for districts to pick up when they face shortages,” he said.
“We recently cleared another K200,000.
“We’re trying to do every quarter so we can have like a buffer stock available in the case where the districts come through the area medical store and there’s a shortage there, they can communicate and access through public health.
“We have about K1.1 million of these drug shortage emergency funds remaining, locked in and can only be accessed through the Integrated Financial Management System (IFMS),” he said.
Since mid-last year, Morobe had faced a serious drug shortage, coupled with the closure of about 70 per cent of its health facilities and manpower shortage.
A public cry for immediate intervention, led by a civil non-profit group called “nogat marasin (no medicine)” campaign led MPG to fast-track a K3.5 million funding to MoPHA.
Dr Binga said while K2 million was locked in as drug emergency funds, the other K1.5 million was received as health grant support funding.
“It was said to be used for apparatus and others but MPG had actually budgeted to support MoPHA health grants as per their budget books,” he said.
“So K500, 000 from this was to support health programmes like Tuberculosis and Immunisation, at the provincial level.
“The other K1 million was divided and distributed K100, 000 to each district; this was given towards the end of the year and we didn’t use it so it is carry over funds for this year.
“Now, we’re locking it in the system so we have K100, 000 each going into their appropriation level.”