By Martha Louis – EMTV News, Madang
Danbam’s health clinic in Madang is facing a short supply of medical drugs and has gone to the extent of prescribing drugs for its patients to purchase at the pharmacy.
Sister in Charge, Manasai Ninge, says apart from looking after their catchment population of about 12,500, they also see patients from other districts.
Ninge explains that for now, the clinic’s storeroom shelves are almost empty of medical drugs, especially antibiotics, to give to patients.
For now, Danbam’s health clinic’s services are only limited to serving outpatients.
Sister-in-Charge of the clinic, Manaasi Ninge, says the building has been closed for renovation since 2014 thus limiting them from providing a fully operational service.
The clinic is now facing another problem……. a severe shortage of medical drugs.
In it’s little storage room, the shelves are almost empty. This is where the antibiotics are stored. Antimalarial drugs are also in short supply.
Patients who come to the clinic for treatment, and who have received prescriptions instead, have to then catch a PMV to the Modilon General Hospital in town to get their supplies.
However, if there is no available medicine at the provincial hospital, patients have to buy the medicines at the pharmacies. But only if they can afford them.
Nursing officer, Theodore Felix, says they also see patients from other districts such as Raicoast and Usino Bundi.
The increase in the number of patients going to the clinic has also increased, since hospitals running out of drugs, as they only get supplies according to their catchment population.
