Latest update April 4th, 2025 5:09 PM
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Expired drugs are an ongoing challenge for Health sector
– Health Minister
The Ministry of Health is on a continuous quest to address the prevailing factor of wastage and dumping of expired drugs within the Health Sector.
“We want to reduce the occurrences of wastage of medicine within the health sector to zero….we see it as a challenge and therefore training at all levels is important and continuous. We are working to tackle this issue wherever we go,” Minister of Health, Dr Bheri Ramsaran said.
Minister of Health, Dr Bheri Ramsaran
He was responding to questions posed by media operatives, during a handing over ceremony, held at MOH storage bond facility, Diamond East Bank Demerara Complex.
According to the Minister, the problem is persistent but systems will be implemented to reduce it. He explained that 80 per cent of all medicines and drugs are made available for distribution at five hospitals within the public health sector.
However, last year the Auditor General’s report revealed that an alarming figure of $49.498M worth of expired drugs was dumped by the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) alone.
Most recently, further problems on subject resurfaced at the Leonora Cottage Hospital, where boxes of expired drugs were discovered stored in facility, waiting to be dumped.
The basis of the issue, according to the Minister, was the lack of adequate storage, which has been eliminated by the establishment of the MOH state of the art storage bond. None the less suitable data entry systems are needed to keep track records of the availability of all medical supplies, the Minister said as he could not give a calculated figure for the number of expired drugs.
Dr Ramsaran pointed out an alternative that would include a modernised inventory and management system.
“Obviously, there is a need from a logistical involvement to prevent the dumping of expired drugs … We may be able to solve the problem through the use of technology; we will be putting computers in place and training personnel,” he added
Dr Ramsaran told reporters that efforts are unrelenting. A refrigerated transport vehicle was recently acquired to assist in the suitable delivery of vaccine and other drugs needing cold storage.
Following the shocking revelation of the Auditor General’s report on dumping of expired drugs and subsequent disclosures that the Health Ministry had paid almost $100 million to New Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporations for storage of the said drugs, the MOH acquired a material management unit.
The warehouse, which cost some $400 million, was commissioned earlier this year. It was designed to meet international standards, and may be the largest of its kind in the Caribbean.
The warehouse is electronically managed and has all the prerequisites including controlled temperature and fire response mechanisms in addition to an organized flow of goods which are taken in, and checked for quality storage.
The facility can accommodate a large quantity of medical supplies that is distributed to public health institutions, countrywide.
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