Latest update April 19th, 2024 12:25 AM
Apr 01, 2021 News
The shortage of drugs and medications has been continuously affecting health facilities countrywide, and this has resulted in numerous complaints being raised by patients. This state of affairs was acknowledged yesterday by Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr. Narine Singh.
Speaking with Kaieteur News on the issue, the CMO said there is no denying that there is a shortage of drugs. He stated that it has been an ongoing problem in the health system. But of recently, because of the prevailing coronavirus pandemic, the shipment of drugs and medications that were ordered by the Government was delayed. He noted that prior to this, on most occasions; drugs would have reached these shores within two to three weeks. However, some drugs are now taking as long as two to three months to arrive in the country, the CMO quipped.
Another factor that he highlighted that would have contributed to the shortage was that most of the medications, which the Government found when it assumed office were expired and these had to be disposed. Nevertheless, CMO Narine assured that the Government is doing its best to address the shortage dilemma affecting health facilities across the country.
Meanwhile, the CMO in commenting on reports of a shortage of doctors at specific health facilities, said that this is not a case of an acute shortage of doctors but it is something that has been occurring in the health system and in certain specialties.
Just recently, Opposition Member of Parliament, Mr. Ganesh Mahipaul, took to his Facebook page to highlight that the West Demerara Regional Hospital is facing shortages of doctors, drugs and medications for its patients. He added too that several doctors had resigned from the health institution, while some were faced with double workload.
But according to Dr. Narine, some of the junior doctors at the different facilities are choosing not to renew their contracts with the government and instead have chosen to go into private practice. He further explained that as of recent, the Government has been looking to expand the health sector. This, he said, will result in some health centres that never had a doctor before, being provided with one or two permanent doctors. He said too that the majority of the health posts in the interior currently have at least one doctor working there.
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