By Jim John
There’s an increase in the number of patients at the Rumginae Rural Hospital in North Fly District of Western Province.
However, some patients were advised to buy their own medicine at the private clinics and pharmacies in Kiunga town due to shortage of basic medical drugs.
These medicines are antibiotics, antimalarial, pain killers, glucose, Mala-1, Artemether injections among others.
Health manager of Evangelical Church of Papua New Guinea or ECPNG North Fly Health Agency Asipali Amono said, health workers are doing their best to treat patients with few available medicines at the hospital.
He said formal orders for supplies have already been done since October of last year, and they are still waiting for the medical supplies.
He said drug orders for the month of January and February for this year has already been done too, and the hospital is yet to get its supplies.
Mr Amono says little assistance with basic medicines were received from the district hospital in Kiunga and the Catholic health services since last month but it is not sufficient to treat the patients.
Being the biggest rural hospital has been serving more than 15,000 people in North Fly District, Western Province and referrals from other neighboring provinces as well.
Despite these ongoing problems, health workers are continuing to provide clinical services where possible at the 10 Aid Posts and 5 sub health centres run by Rumginae Rural Hospital in North Fly and Middle Fly districts respectively.
Health workers are now calling on the relevant authorities to address this issue for effective delivery of health services in rural areas.
RUMGINAE HOSPITAL IN DIRE NEED OF MEDICAL DRUGS
