Stock up facilities with medicines: MP

THE lack of medicine in health facilities in Kiriwina-Goodenough of Milne Bay, is a concern as the Coronavirus (Covid-19) hit the islands, MP Douglas Tomuriesa says.
Tomuriesa told Parliament on Friday that out of the 200 tests conducted on Kiriwina, 110 were the Covid-19-positive.
One person died.
“Some may have died in the villages but yet to be reported,” he said.
“Some of the sick people came to the (health facilities with symptoms) such as flu, headache, body ache, fever (which) we can treat.”
But, Tomuriesa said there were no medicines in the health facilities because the contractors had left the medicine supplies in Alotau and did not deliver them to the districts.
Tomuriesa had to transport the medicines from Alotau to the islands.
“While we concentrate our money and effort on the Covid-19, (we need to) stock up our provinces and districts with medicine that can treat illnesses that are curable,” he said.
“When they (contractors) signed the contracts, it is to take (the medicine) to the districts.
“At the district level, we take charge of it.
“Government has spent a lot of money building health facilities but if we do not stock (them) with the drugs that are needed by the health workers then we are wasting our time building them.”