Questions are being raised to the Health Department, as to why many health centres and Aid posts have been operating without basic medication for months.
The delay in supply of medical drugs has resulted in those health facilities closing their doors to patients, and referring them to hospitals in towns.
The Sogeri Health Centre is one example where medication has run out and unfortunate patients have expressed their concerns.
Situated inland of Port Moresby, Sogeri is one Government station that has received little attention from the Government.
Though it is about an hour’s drive into Port Moresby, here government services, especially health, is a major concern. This Health Centre has been without basic medication for over two months now.
According to the nurses, who declined to be interviewed on camera, drugs for malaria, cough and other common diseases have run out.
The nurses said every two months, they submit their report to the Area Base Medical Store in Port Moresby for new supply, however, this time they have waited longer with no relief supply given.
They question the health Department and the people in charge of the Medical store, to explain why delivery of drugs is slow. This delay has resulted in the closure of four Aid Posts in the area, who gets their supply from the Sogeri Health centre.
Mothers in the area, claimed that this have caused them a lot of money to pay for medical treatment in Port Moresby.
In Emergency cases during delivery, snake bite or major illness, patients pay a fee of Fifty Kina for the use of the Ambulance or the Police vehicle to travel to Port Moresby.
Similar situations are common in many health centres in PNG, and the Health Department and respective MPs for each electorate, must explain why drug supply is not reaching their local health centres.
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