Lae’s Angau Memorial Provincial Hospital has been facing a shortage of life saving drugs and consumables for almost eight months.
When faced with emergency cases, the patients were advised by the medical officers to buy from pharmacies and take it back to the hospital to be treated.
John Noel, a patient, spoke to EM TV about the struggles he faced at Angau hospital whilst seeking treatment.
Noel who had a broken left hand, was taken to the hospital by his daughter to be treated, however, he was told that the hospital didn’t have soft gauze to cast on his hand.
He received a prescription from the medical officers to buy it from the pharmacy so he could be treated.
Another patient, 75-year-old Albert Sila, an asthmatic, was discharged from the hospital on Wednesday (August 25) after his grandchildren assisted in buying his medication from the pharmacy.
Angau Provincial Hospital in Lae serves over one million people from Morobe’s nine districts as well as patients from the Highlands Provinces through referrals.
Since January this year, the hospital has been out of stock of basic drugs including aspirin tablet, syringe and other life saving consumables to treat patients.
It is the second largest hospital in the country which is now operating as a Provincial Health Authority, headed by CEO, Dr. Kipas Binga.
According to Dr. Binga, the medical supplies are procured by the National Health Department.
EM TV has been reporting on issues concerning medicine shortages at Health facilities including Health Centers and Aid posts in the country over the past four years.
