Region 6 drug shortage preposterous – APNU Councillor

An A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Councillor in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) has criticised the Administration for its mismanagement of the Region’s health care system, which he said was currently at its worst.
Addressing the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) on Thursday, Councillor Samuel T Fraser expressed concern over the shortage of essential drugs and other medical supplies at the New Amsterdam Hospital. He explained that while there were shortages under the previous Administration, the situation has worsened considerably.

Fraser also highlighted that the same supplier who supplied the New Amsterdam Hospital with pharmaceuticals also supplied a local pharmacist, and was responsible for making the orders for the purchase of drugs for the Hospital.
“It is disgusting; it is preposterous,” he blurted out.
“Comrade Chairman, the pharmacist’s drug store is well established, one of the best in New Amsterdam, and our pharmacy ain’t got drugs… You cannot blame the Director [of Health Services], you cannot blame the CEO [Chief Executive Officer]. The lab equipment is rundown and needs refurbishing. I know for a fact the Minister said that they are about to refurbish the labs. What I want to do here is to get her to treat it with urgency, because no blood work can be done there at the moment and that has been going on for months,” Fraser outlined.
Regional Chairman David Armogan explained that the Hospital had a system, which was run by a Director and a CEO, who must be held accountable for any inefficiency at the hospital, just as he and the Regional Executive Officer (REO) would be accountable if there were managerial deficiencies in the Region and not the store’s clerk.

Armogan said given the facts, if anyone should be replaced, it should be the CEO and the Health Services Director. “I do not think it is fair to look at a low-lever officer and cast blame. There are people who are in high responsible positions; they have to take the blame if the lab is not working. It is very easy to cast blame on low-level officers. Your statement seems to be incriminating the man. You can’t prove that the man is taking drugs from the hospital.”
He noted that the issue raised was one of a chronic and serious shortage of drugs which was indeed preposterous.
Members of the Social Services Parliamentary Sectoral Committee, who visited the New Amsterdam Hospital on Thursday, discovered that drug shortages at the health institution continued to be a sore issue. Committee members, as well as hospital staff, related that while some drugs were delivered to the facility, the system of transferring drugs from the Materials Management Unit (MMU) to the health facility left loopholes for discrepancies; hence, the shortages.
Chairperson of the Social Services Committee, Dr Vindhya Persaud acknowledged that there seemed to be a problem with the procurement of drugs at the institution.  “The issue of drug shortages was raised by patients, notable in chronic Non-Communicable Diseases like diabetes and hypertension as well as other medication for thyroids… What we have noticed is that there seems to be some difficulty between demand and supply, and procurement.”
The Parliamentary Committee on Social Services exercises the responsibility to examine all policies and administration for each sector, to determine whether the execution of Government policy is in agreement with the principles of good governance, and in the best interest of the nation. Members of the Committee who visited the New Amsterdam Hospital included Members of Parliament  Vishwa Mahadeo, Alister Charlie, John Adams and Minister within the Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Ministry, Valerie Garrido-Lowe.