The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) is currently experiencing a drug shortage that has been described as critical.
Officials from the GPHC and Ministry of Health, appearing before the Public Accounts Committee today, said that drugs such as Aspirin, B-Complex and paracetamol are not available.
In addition, the GPHC is awaiting Cabinet’s approval to purchase drugs necessary for kidney transplant patients.
GPHC CEO Alan Johnson tells the committee that the shortage is against a backdrop of over $900 million in expired drugs having to be disposed of recently. He contends that the drugs being purchased have a short shelf-life. Drugs are purchased from the New Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation which also stores them, Johnson says.
He adds that the GPHC has asked for a supplementary budget allocation since October.
