Medical supply delivery concern

A HEALTH worker in Morobe wants the local area medical stores (AMS) resume the responsibility of delivering medical supply to Finschhafen.
District health manager Richter Posai said the company, contracted by the Health Department to carry out the task, had failed to do so, especially to the rural health facilities in Morobe.
“When they don’t have money, they don’t deliver as soon as they can and we run out of supply,” he said.
“This is affecting the rural hospitals and the population they serve.
“It’s an extra burden on our already struggling budget given the budget cuts.”
Posai said rural health facilities in Finschhafen had to spend more than K2,000 to bring their own medical supplies from the AMS in Lae.
“We assisted three health facilities to pay for transportation of their supply with the little money we had,” he said.
“But, the rest are still without supply.
“Their orders have been outstanding since January.”
Secretary of the Lutheran health services, Katu Yapi, agreed with Posai.
“In the past, when the medical supplies arrived in Port Moresby and distributed through the AMS structure and system, the provincial AMS received them directly and supplied to Northern and the Highlands,” he said.
“Within Morobe, they provided their monthly medical store issued voucher and the AMS delivered to them.
“At no time can I recall we had issues of medical supply shortage as a result of the AMS.
“The issue started when it was contracted out.
“We want all medical supplies procurement to return to the AMS for drug distribution.”