By Julie Badui Owa – EMTV News, Lae
The Haikoast Clinic in Lae is closed for an indefinite period since Monday this week, due to the shortage of medicine.
The clinic’s nursing officer, Joseph Absalom said they were closed because the clinic doesn’t have basic medicine such as Amoxicillin and Panadol to treat patients.
The Clinic serves a catchment population of 25,000. Patients from Huon Gulf, Bulolo and Markham District also seek medical treatment there.
When we went to Haikost Clinic today, the clinic was closed. There were no patients, except for women who had gone there for antenatal treatment.
The shelves in the dispensary have been empty since June. Drugs such as amoxicillin and painkillers have not been supplied.
A nursing officer in charge of the dispensary, Rhonda Gumaia says they don’t always receive everything they need from the Area Medical Store.
The Clinic has also run out of Sexual Transmitted Infection drugs and STI patients are now purchasing their supplies from Pharmacies.
Haikoast Clinic is located in the two-mile area and is one of the seven urban clinics in Lae.
The nurses at the clinic attend to more than 200 patients a day.
