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No reports of drug shortage at Lethem Hospital – Minister Ramsammy
The Lethem Hospital
“No reports have reached my office that there is a shortage of drugs at the Lethem Hospital,” Minister of Health, Dr Leslie Ramsammy, asserted last evening. His remarks came in response to this newspaper’s disclosure that complaints have been surfacing that the Lethem Hospital has had a shortage of drugs for the past few weeks.
According to reports reaching this newspaper, there is a problem with the availability of the basic and essential drugs at the hospital. It was revealed that Community Health Workers who would usually visit the hospital to replenish stock at their respective health outposts in neighbouring communities had to return empty-handed.
It was revealed that the Lethem Hospital is supplied with enough drugs to service neighbouring health outposts. Reports are that the problem may have stemmed from the deplorable state of the Lethem Road. It was disclosed that the Lethem area currently even has a problem with replenishing ration (food stock) as well, due to the state of the road.
However, Minister Ramsammy revealed yesterday that no reports of a shortage of drugs at the hospital had reached his office as of last evening. The Minister was however able to ascertain that a request for additional drugs was made last week by the hospital’s administration.
“I called my officers, and the bond is not aware of any shortage there (Lethem Hospital)…” According to the Minister, the bond would usually supply the hospital with at least three months’ worth of supplies, adding that the last supply was sent on June 25, last, following a request made exactly one week before, on June 18.
Ramsammy said the hospital was not expected to require additional drugs until the latter part of next month. But given the fact that a request was made last week, the Minister speculated that there may very well be a shortage looming, a development which was not reported to his office.
“There is a way that things are done. They have to make a formal request before we can process something like this…But it is another matter if they are telling other people rather than my office.”
The Minister explained that the process of replenishing the hospital’s supply is based on two factors – the request time and the consumption rate. Minister Ramsammy revealed that the Ministry’s bond has already packed drugs for the hospital and a chartered flight has been booked to transport the drugs on Sunday.
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