Trouble for ESP health

By ROSELYN ELLISON
LACK of funding and transport is affecting the distribution of medical supplies and vaccines in East Sepik.
A report by provincial health office in Wewak also revealed poor management of medical drugs, including abuse and fraud involving the sale of medical drugs on the streets.
“The storage capacity of health facility to store drugs
and equipment. including vaccines, is inadequate due to the poor management of drugs at the facility there and a a result, essential medicines at
all health facilities run out of stock,” the report said.
The report said only 90% health facilities over the past five years had adequate supply of essential drugs.
In that report, it also said while the drug management was an issue, the provincial health also had problems with storage and safe keeping of vaccines and other refrigerated and control temperature medical items due to lack
of power, gas and also the capacity of refrigerators to keep and produce ice.
Provincial health office in Wewak has now come up with strategic plans on how they would improve on some areas they had been lacking in providing health services and one of those such is supply of drugs and vaccines to the health facilities within the six districts in the province.
This prioritised strategy includes:
l    Roll-out the training on standard operational procedures (SOP) in the management of medical supplies and vaccines
l    Trial out the 100% health centre kits to be packed at the provincial transit store and distribute to two selected pilot districts of Angoram and Ambunti-Dreikikir and eventually expand to the remaining four districts;
l    Establish provincial task force with stakeholders to control, monitor and prosecuted drug fraud; and
l    Improve communication with national, provincial and rural health facilities.