Negligent hospital authorities cause artificial drug shortage

Nadira Gunatilleke

The negligent and lethargic practice of some hospital authorities cause an artificial drug shortage in some hospitals but the Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry and the Medical Supplies Division (MSD) are being blamed for this, Ministry sources said.

The sources said annually the MSD sends a blank CD to all hospitals to obtain the list of drugs and quantity for the next year. The hospital authorities have to include data on the drugs and the amounts needed on to this CD and return it to the MSD to order drugs for the next year. Many hospital authorities do not return this CD to the MSD on time.

The sources pointed out that in some instances special ordering systems were required to import certain equipment such as 'Arterial Lines' used for bypass surgery. It takes about an year from the point of ordering and receiving this equipment.

Importing is being done through the SPC. But the CNH has not ordered this equipment for 2007 - 2008 and the Ministry has made arrangements to buy `Arterial Lines' from the local market to continue bypass surgeries at the CNH, they said. There was a shortage of Aspirin and Salbutomol in 125 hospitals and arrangements have been made to provide these two drugs to the hospitals. There are 1,100 state hospitals.

Six million tablets of Salbutomol and one million tablets of Aspirin have already been provided and another one million Aspirin tablets will be provided to hospitals by tomorrow, the sources said.