No physical checks on drug: Doctor

Reports by GEORGINA KOREI
DEPUTY Health secretary Dr Goa Tau has testified that the propofol sample sent to the Therapeutic Goods Administration of Australia for testing revealed that it was contaminated with 11 bacteria endotoxin mostly at the manufacturing stage.
He said a physical inspection showed the propofol given was in two layers which was clearly visible.
“This indicated that the propofol was contaminated,” he said.
He said the anesthetists did not do a physical check prior to administration on the patients.
“This is the same with the other three patients that died when the propofol was given,” Dr Tau said.
Dr Tau said there was a clear absence of communication and disconnection among the Health Department branches that were supposed to ensure quality medicine and medical supplies were brought in the country.
“This batch of propofol and other Covid-19 supplies were not checked by the standards and regulations branches of the Health Department,” he said.
“The propofol in question is 800 vials supplied to the Port Moresby General Hospital and 20 vials were given to the main operating theatre which eight vials were used on the patients on Aug 12, 2021.”
Dr Tau said whether there were standard operating procedures and a medicine therapeutic committee in PMGH or not was not made clear.
“The batch of propofol was quarantined following the four deaths but the testing by the National Medicine Quality Control Laboratory did not take place,” he said.
Dr Tau said the United Nations Office for Project Service (Unops) was informed of the deaths and the supplier of the propofol was instructed to conduct an external lab testing on the samples obtained.
“The test certificate by Shriram Institute of Industrial Research Delhi, India dated Sept 21, 2021 stated that the sample passed the sterility and endotoxin test,” he said.
Dr Tau said Unops advised that it had initiated an independent analysis of the vials taken from PMGH and Area Medical Store.
“The test result shows the presence of bacterial endotoxin,” he said.
Meanwhile, magistrate Josephine Kilage said those summoned to testify as witnesses, but did not included; police commissioner and Covid-19 controller David Manning and Health secretary Dr Osborne Liko.