$280M in expired drugs, medical supplies destroyed in 2014
By Jomo Paul
Dr Surendra Persaud, Dr Karen Cummings and Dr George Norton during the press conference.
[www.inewsguyana.com] – The Opposition Coalition has revealed that in 2014 some $280M worth of expired drugs and medical supplies were destroyed by the State.
Member of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), Dr George Norton made the startling discovery while responding to a question posed by iNews at a news conference on Monday, April 20.
He pointed out that there is need for a more effective delivery system for drugs to medical institutions. According to Dr Norton, “last year we destroyed totalling the sum of $280M GYD. That is something that we certainly would want to put an end to, to prevent it.”
The Former Parliamentarian noted too that the sole sourcing of drugs and medical supplies by the Ministry of Health and GPHC has incurred a lot of damage to the system and will be definitely abolished under an APNU+AFC government.
“Since 2005 the government has been practically sole sourcing medical supplies and medication to the Georgetown Public Hospital and the Ministry of Health and that is something that we certainly put an end to,” said Norton.
He pointed out that an APNU+AFC government will distribute in keeping with the procedure and process established at the National Procurement and Tender Board.
“We will try to give all the companies a level playing field because we have known of cases where government was purchasing medication from this particular company at very high prices when they could have gotten from another company at a very low cost,” the APNU Member lamented.
Meanwhile, APNU+AFC’s Dr Surendra Persaud explained that there are efforts to manage health care across Guyana from one central place in Georgetown.
He explained that the Regional Health Authorities Act was passed several years ago with the aim of decentralizing the administration of Health Care and to date only Berbice has been able to implement some critical components of the Act that includes the creation of a Regional Health Authority.
“What we need to do is look at that law; figure out where Regional Health Authorities needed to be and create them. So you don’t have somebody in Bartica…or Lethem having to call Georgetown,” said Dr Persaud.
