21 July 2022
The National Referral Hospital (NRH) have now stocked up on medication and inhaler devices that were initially in low supply.
However, only a few stocks of Inhalers for asthma patients are now available at the NRH pharmacy and will be rationed for severe patients while others will be provided tablet medications or will need to seek prescriptions at private pharmacies.
Medical drugs including antibiotics and specialist drugs which some of the hospital wards have reported as being low in supply should be back on full stock in the next three months.
It is important to note that similar low drug supplies at the hospitals and clinics will be experienced for some time yet throughout the country, due to delays in shipment and clearance at the wharf which MHMS is working hard to address.
20 shipping containers containing medical supplies are at the wharf awaiting completion of clearance before transferring to the National Medical Store.
Occasional experiences of shortages of drugs and other medical consumables at NRH and health facilities across the country in the past months and year are due to delays with the shipment of the annual medical drugs order for the period, 2021 to 2022.
Every year annual orders for medicines and consumables are placed to suppliers overseas. These are estimated to cater for 12 months of consumption and additional six months period as a buffer should unforeseen events such as natural disasters, outbreaks, etc occur. Each year these supplies normally arrive in the country within March and April.
For this year’s order, 2021 – 2022, the supplies have only started to arrive in the past weeks as opposed to the usual arrival time in the first quarter of each year. This is due to COVID-19 restrictions and requirements, making shipment schedules inconsistent.
This has contributed significantly to the occasional shortages and low supply of some medical drugs. In these instances, what health was doing to ensure we do not run out of stock completely for certain medical items of high demand is placing urgent orders to our suppliers overseas for airlift of these drugs to the country. A costly exercise costing the government.
Nevertheless, we were fortunate to receive great help from our bilateral relations, donors, and partners that provided invaluable assistance in this regard. Australia, China, New Zealand, Japan, United States of America, and India including WHO, UNICEF, and World Bank have all played significant roles in many ways either direct or indirect in maintenance of medical stock levels in the country.
In the past weeks and days, we have received most of our 2021 -2022 medical supplies with some more on their way from Australia. Health is working hard to swiftly clear the containers before stocking up our National Medical Store before distribution across the country including NRH commences.
These explanations have been made previously and health is pleased to once again provide the information to everyone so we all understand the current situation of our medical supplies in our country.
Continue to look after ourselves and take every preventative measure seriously to keep us and our families healthy.
Sources: Press Release, MHMS and Solomon Tmes Online.
Comment
I thank the MHMS for ensuring the continuity of medical supplies and express grateful thanks to all the Solomon Islands diplomatic partners and generous donors for their combined assistance to the MHMS in the deliverance of medical stocks
I wonder, however, how much of the newly arrived medical supplies will have to used in treating patients with known health issues, and many any already in a serious condition, due to preventable causes incurred by NCDs like diabetes, strokes, heart disease and high blood pressure.
I would advocate much more education by the MHMS, aided by its partners, in reducing NCDs in the community, and I will continue in trying to help the MHMS with published health information for the purpose of NCDs reduction
Yours sincerely
Frank Short
