By Fabian Hakalits – EM TV, Port Moresby
Health centre kits purchased by the national government, under a contract with Borneo Pacific Pharmecuticals Ltd, as the supplier and distributor of medical supplies in the country, has been described as a “waste”.
Health workers of Mabudawan Rural Health Centre, in South Fly District of Western Province, said that the government wasted money on products that they have found, ineffective once administered.
During the Fact Finding Mission to Mabudawan Health Centre, 75 cartons of health centres kits were discovered, parked away in the store room and ready for shipment back to Daru.
According to the two health workers who work at the health centre, Naidi Magau and Masluk Gibia,these kits were brought in February and have not yet been used.
Magau said that most of these medicines aren’t needed.
Rural health centres are designed to be managedby by Health Extension Officers and Nursing Officers, and not Community Health Workers.
In the case of Mabudawan, it is managed by Community Health Workers, making it impossible to order dangerous drugs that are not contained in the kits.
These types of drugs are based on order sighted by HEO and RNO, to which they are then able to be distributed.
The Health Workers also reported that these boxes aren’t labelled, to indicate the type of medicine inside.
Magau added that health centres and aid post in rural areas weren’t consulted on the type of medical supplies they needed most; therefore, this was another systematic waste to send supplies that were not needed in these areas.
The two health workers called on the national government to provide quality health care to the people of this nation.
Chairman of the Special Parliamentary Committee on Public Sector Reform and Service Delivery, Bire Kimisopa, said an inquiry will be conducted into the procurement of medical supplies.
Attempts to contact Borneo Pacific Pharmecuticals Ltd, were not successful.
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