No record of drug shortage in Region Seven – Min Anthony

-audit shows hospital essentials available

Minister of Health, Hon. Dr. Frank Anthony says there is no major drug shortage in the Cuyuni-Mazaruni (Region Seven), as a recent audit of regional bonds showed the availability of hospital essentials.   

During Tuesday’s COVID-19 update, the Minister said while there is a general shortage of drugs in the healthcare system caused by the Coalition’s poor management, the record shows no deficit in Region Seven.

Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony

“I’m not aware of a major drug shortage. Major sounds like if there are a lot of things that are short. We do have some shortages and as you know, we have constantly explained this – we inherited a bad situation with medicines, and we have been working to fix them.

As far as I’m aware… most of the essential items that hospitals would use, we have been able to restock that. There might be a few items that are short, but we are continuously trying to procure those items and, as fast as we get them here at the MMU [Materials Management Unit] we then distribute them out to the regions.”

Dr. Anthony said medicines have been distributed across the health system.

“They also did an assessment of how many drugs and medical supplies they currently have in the system, and it far exceeds what was expired so I know for sure, based on that audit that we have a lot of medicines in Region Seven.”

Minister Anthony also said through the budget, Regions are allocated funding for medicines.  They would usually send the funds to the Ministry so that bulk purchases could be made. However, while the Ministry has commenced the procurement process for medicines for the regions, it has yet to receive payment.  

Expired drugs being dumped back in March.

Minister Anthony called on the Chairman of Region Seven to look into this matter.

Almost a week ago, the Minister said an audit of regional bonds was conducted after a quantity of expired drugs valued $10 billion was found in the central bond in August 2020. The audit found expired drugs in the regional bonds to the following value Region One ($22.6 million), Region Two ($33,000), Region Three ($507 million), Region Four ($484,000), Region Five ($395.5 million), Region Six ($202 million), Region Seven ($40.7 million), Region Eight ($24.6 million), Region Nine ($41,000) and Region 10 ($3.3 million).

The executive summary report of the audit will be submitted to the Minister this week.

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