Minister of Public Health, Dr George Norton, over the weekend delivered drugs and other medical supplies to 15 health facilities which had reported drug shortages in the Moruca Sub-Region in Region One.
According to a GINA press release, the Minister and a team including Director of Regional Health Services, Dr Kay Shako and Director of Vector Control Services, Dr Horace Cox were in the region for three days and visited Kumaka, Waramuri, Haimaracabra, Koko, Cabrora, Kamwatta, Chinese Landing, Waikrebi, Santa Cruz, Warapoka, Assakata, Manawarin, Kwebanna, Karaburi and Wallaba to inspect the conditions of the public health facilities, and to hold discussions with health care workers.
The release quoted the pharmacist of the Kumaka District Hospital as telling the minister that, “our drugs would usually come from (the ministry’s) Materials Management Unit (MMU), but the time that it takes to get here, sometimes we run short. Another thing, when the drugs come, we don’t get it with a receipt so we don’t know what MMU is sending against what we are receiving.”
According to the release, this report has prompted the minister to conduct further investigations on the issue and assured that systems will be put in place to address it.
Following the visit, the minister told GINA that several health facilities in the Moruca sub-region will see vast improvement by year end, the release stated.
According to the release, Community Health Workers (CHWs) will be trained in microscopy to carry out rapid tests for malaria, dengue and other vector-borne diseases. Also, other health workers will be trained in midwifery to facilitate child birth within the respective villages.
The release quoted Norton as telling GINA, “We hope to improve (staff) from a CHW to a CHW/Midwife and in some cases to a Medex. We do have Medexes in the system that we are hoping to put in these areas.”
The team also distributed chemically-treated bed nets to CHWs of the specific health posts for pregnant mothers.
