Ways sought to improve supply of medicine

The National National

By LULU MARK
EFFECTIVE communication between health workers and health authorities is important to addressing the shortage of drugs and medical supplies, sys Minister for Health and HIV-AIDS Sir Puka Temu.
He told the first Catholic Church Health Services (CCHS) annual conference yesterday that drug shortage remained an ongoing issue.
The conference, with the theme ‘Promoting healthy living through care and compassion’, started yesterday and will end on Friday.
It aims to inform participants on:

  • Reforms in the PNG health sector;
  • public health priorities and strategies to address them;
  • process for developing the next health plan; and
  • Impart training on developing plans aimed at delivering effective and efficient health care

Sir Puka said examination and diagnosis without the availability of lifesaving drugs was a waste of time, and all health workers knew that.
He said the government was working to improve ways in which drugs and medical supplies were obtained and distributed. “Effective communication will have the system in check and drug shortage will become a thing of the past,” he said.