Latest update February 18th, 2025 1:40 PM
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‘Lock-up’ for health care workers found stealing drugs – says Health Minister
“There are known thieves in the system and they keep fetching out things,” said Minister of Health, Dr. Bheri Ramsaran.
He was addressing reports of drug shortages within the public health system.
The Minister pointed accusing fingers at some health care workers whom he believes have been taking advantage of lax supervision.
“In the night time, for example, it is difficult to have the same level of supervision (as in the day)…Some of the workers rotate at nights but we cannot have a police state. We have to have a mature work force,” said the Minister.
Minister of Health,
Dr. Bheri Ramsaran
But according to him, the Ministry is currently putting measures in place to tackle the prevailing challenge that has been negatively impacting the delivery of health care.
“Because we know things are continuing to disappear, we are putting systems in place but at the same time we would expect health care providers to have a conscience,” said Dr Ramsaran. He added that it is clear that not all health workers are engaged in such activities.
According to him, the few who so engage are among those who have ready access to the drugs that disappear.
The Minister, without specifically detailing plans to combat the “troubling thieving” situation, expressed optimism that the media would not condemn looming actions when they are officially implemented.
“I hope we don’t get too adverse criticisms when we start to take measures and people start to get lock-up,” the Minister noted.
But clandestine activities have not been the only reason resulting in the reported shortage of drugs. The Minister readily admitted that in many instances the real shortage of drugs is linked to human error or even at times to “somebody not passing on a request or somebody has locked down something and has not passed it on to the night or weekend shift.”
“That is not to say that there are not genuine shortages from time to time,” acknowledged the Minister who is convinced that the Ministry more often than not has the basic drugs available in abundance.
However, a noticeable shortcoming, evident at times, is that of management capacity. According to the Minister, failure on the part of some individuals to recognise depleting supplies of some drugs has on occasion resulted in “unforgiveable lapses of management that we have to take into consideration and take action against.”
“There are instances when the person in charge never requested the requisite drugs…How do we deal with such issues? These are not people who fall out of the sky, they are not aliens, they are Guyanese who have been given the conditions to deliver a service,” said the Minister.
He went on to highlight that while some drugs may be in short supply, there are alternates that can be used in some cases.
He disclosed, for example, that there are several different types of antibiotics and pain killers that can be used interchangeably at times.
And since there is no significant shortage of drugs in the view of the Minister he noted that “we need to start rapping people over the knuckles for management.”
He said that the health sector has no want for suitable storage facilities.
He alluded to the massive $500 million storage facility at Diamond, East Bank Demerara, which he described as a ‘Pharmaceutical Grade warehouse’. It has a management team comprising specifically trained pharmacists and managers.
Another facility at New Amsterdam, he said, is no less efficient to hold the health sector’s drugs ahead of them being dispatched to various facilities.
However, another challenge that the health sector has faced in recent times is that of drug expiration. According to Dr. Ramsaran, while the Health Ministry may have in stock some crucial and even expensive drugs, such as those for heart conditions, there are times that they have a rather short shelf life.
He disclosed that it was just such a situation the health sector was confronted with when, now dead President, Dr. Cheddi Jagan, had fallen ill.
But according to the Health Minister, expired drugs does not in any way represent an indictment on the health sector since based on the recommendations of the World Health Organisation, an expiration rate of between three and 15 per cent of drugs in stock is seen as acceptable.
He nevertheless noted that the Ministry is working fervently to ensure that it handles the various forms of drugs shortage.
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