Provinces need meds, supplies: Doc

A SENIOR medical doctor wants on the Government to ensure medicines are delivered to health facilities that are running short of supplies.
Deputy chairman of the National Health Board of Papua New Guinea and chairman of the West New Britain health authority (PHA) Dr Mathias Sapuri said provinces were running short of medicines because all the supplies were in Port Moresby and not delivered.
He said the medicines were needed by the health facilities in the provinces.
He was responding to queries about the medical supply in WNB and how the ongoing issue of medical supply shortage in the country could be addressed.
“All the medicines are still sitting in the warehouse in Gerehu since January, waiting to be moved to the provinces,” he said.
“Government should approve a logistic company to move these medicines to the provinces as soon as possible.
“This delay leaves PHAs no choice but to buy directly from suppliers which are not budgeted under their expenditure plan.
“I call on Government to progress this as soon as possible so we get these medicines to our health facilities.”
Dr Sapuri added that there was also a need for reform in the medical supply system in PNG.
“We require a major reform in the supply system and this could mean some degree of funding direct to PHAs to purchase direct on specific items and medicines.
“Logistics and purchase of medicines and supply should just be a single contract.
“Meaning you bring the supplies direct to PHA,” Dr Sapuri said.
Meanwhile in Western, the Balimo Hospital was experiencing critical medicine shortage with the PHA not responding well to calls made.
The hospital’s health extension officer, Gabriel Milep, said a meeting was held last week to manage the situation and by this Friday, services would be scaled down and staff would standby for emergency cases only.