No shortage of diabetes drug by year-end

Apr 26, 2009 News

– Minister Ramsammy

More than $300 M is expended each year to procure diabetic medicine and supplies which are all distributed free of cost to patients as part of the local Ministry of Health’s effort to reduce the negative impact of diabetes.
Health Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy made this disclosure yesterday when he addressed a gathering of health workers at the closing of a diabetes training programme at the Regency Suites, Hadfield Street, Georgetown.
And although the Ministry has been able to increase its diagnostic capacity and improve its management system, the Minister divulged that the health sector is yet under pressure to ensure that by the end of 2009 there are no shortages when it comes to the availability of medications for diabetes.
He pointed out, though, that while Guyana is striving to improve its capacity there are countries in the Caribbean where people still have to pay for their medication.
“We have had to develop competency in procurement, storage and distribution. There was a time when we had enormous shortages but we no longer have those shortages. ”
He however disclosed that the sector has had glitches whereby there have not been enough insulin because of world market shortages or because a shipment was late.
The Minister admitted that there was a time when the Ministry was not in a position to guarantee people supplies a situation, which has improved tremendously today.
According to him the procurement and distribution system has established a priority medication and supply process, which caters to a number of diseases including diabetes. And should the process not function optimally, Minister Ramsammy noted that there are stipulated penalties.
“The only time we are excusing our materials and management union for not getting supplies is if we do not supply them with the money…and I believe that we are providing them with enough money and therefore they have to justify shortages.”
“For me there is no justification today for shortages for insulin for the diabetic and for supply in terms of diagnosis. So we are under pressure…Those of us working in the sector we must ensure that by the end of 2009 there are no shortages when it comes to diabetes,” the Minister warned.
He added that as long as there are medicines listed in the essential drug list and the diagnostic supplies are listed they would be procured by the Ministry.
In terms of management the Minister disclosed that as part of the management system the Ministry has added a public sector service, glycosylated haemoglobin management.
“It is part of our management; it is part of the public sector package of service; it is part of our laboratory services so that all regional hospitals should have the laboratory setting and I can tell you as Minister that I have made the equipment available. It is not yet routine but it is not because of the Ministry of Health, it is because of difficulties at the local levels.”
However the Minister has said that by the end of this year the Ministry will not accept any excuse from any hospital that does not have glycosylated haemoglobin management capacity as a routine service.
He said that such a process could be offered though a referral service at the national referral laboratory.
According to the Minister, for a poor country, Guyana is undertaking an enormous task to have glycosylated haemoglobin as a laboratory management tool in the public sector for free, adding that virtually in every other country it is only available through a payment scheme.
“We in Guyana cannot underestimate the provisions that have been put in place for the prevention and management of diabetes.”

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No shortage of diabetes drug by year-end

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