By DALCY LULUA
THE National Tuberculous (TB) Project Manager Dr Margaret Kal says there are enough TB drugs available in the country to be distributed to health centres.
“We have TB drugs available and shortages at any facility should be reported through the Provincial Health Authorities (PHAs) and not on Facebook,” she said.
Dr Kal made the remark after the Facebook post of a male guardian of a patient went viral on social media.
“Sitting next to my father in medical ward in Popondetta for the last 3 weeks, brings unhappiness and no hope of survival,” the guardian wrote in the post.
“Seeing the state of the ward, and the general outpatient, the services have dropped and the worse thing is, there are no TB drugs and oxygen.
“I have witnessed TB patients dying and discharged from the ward without medicine.”
However, Dr Kal said the Oro Provincial Health Authority have not reported to her team a drug shortage in the province.
“Oro has not reported anything to us; we have drugs in the country,” she said.
Dr Kal said there were drugs in the provinces too.
“The provinces have drugs they need to redistribute within their boundaries.
“Subsequently, any shortage must be reported to the PHAs.”
Meanwhile, Health Minister Dr Lino Tom, when contacted by this paper regarding the state of the hospital and funding for the doctors’ consumables, said: “Yes, definitely there has been.”
