Lack of communication causing drug
shortage at hospitals, health centres –
Chandarpal
Months of shortage of pharmaceuticals at public hospitals and health centres could have been prevented with effective communication between Regional Health Authorities and the Ministry of Health’s bond at Diamond, East Bank Demerara.
Indra Chandarpal
This is according to Indra Chandarpal, Chairperson of the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Social Services, during a telephone interview with this publication yesterday. Chandarpal and committee members including People’s Progressive Party Parliamentarian Dr. Vindhya Persaud, A Partnership for National Unity’s Parliamentarian Joan Baveghems, and Alliance For Change Parliamentarian Valerie Garrido-Lowe visited the bond Tuesday to ascertain the origin of the hiccups within the health sector. According to her, the main reason for the hiccup is the lack of communication, which is unacceptable among coastland health facilities. She emphasized that health services are decentralized leaving regional authorities with the responsibility of monitoring the provisions of healthcare and needs of hospitals and health centres. Citing an example of this lack of communication, Chandarpal said health centres on the West Demerara would have to provide a list of drugs needed to the West Demerara Regional Hospital that would request the drugs from the national bond. She noted that the requests have to take into consideration regular patients who visit the health centres monthly and random members of the public. As such, there would be a constant and adequate supply of drugs for patients. Chandarpal said that the management capabilities of the regional officials need to improve so that the delivery of essential services would not be neglected. The shortage of medical supplies in the Regions should not be a regular feature since the Regional budgets cater for health services. Therefore, managers in the Regions need to enhance their capacities and serve the people who depend on free drugs. “The people in the system who are at these institutions need to do what they are appointed to do,” she said. According to Chandarpal, the Committee will be meeting on March 14 where the mechanisms to be put in place will be discussed. She assured that whatever the recommendations will be, the Committee will not sit on them. Currently, the work of the Committee is overwhelmed with members visiting health facilities. Committee members visited the Mahaicony Hospital last week and plan to visit others within coming weeks.