Tender process blamed

By Rebecca Kuku
THE National Doctors Association is urging the Health Department to fast-track the tender process to procure medicine as hospitals faced closure soon because of the shortage of medicine and funds.
Association president James Naipao said doctors were complaining of the lack of medicine in the health facilities they worked in.
Naipao said the lack of hospital funding was also a big problem.
According to a report he received, one hospital received only K100,000 from its K1 million allocation.
Naipao said the Health Department must quickly award the contract to the new pharmaceutical supplier so that the medicine supply to hospitals could flow again.
“Doctors use medicine to save lives and cure diseases and sicknesses,” he said.
“Without medicines, doctors are not able to help patients. Either the Health Department award the contract as soon as it can, or fund the hospitals so that they can procure their own medicine.”
Health Secretary Pascoe Kase said the contract for a new pharmaceutical drugs supplier would soon be awarded.
“The contract has already been evaluated and has been awarded by Cabinet. A decision will soon be announced.”
Finance Secretary Dr Ken Ngangan said  the tender documents had already been submitted to the National Executive Council.