Like many health facilities around the country facing drug shortage, the Alotau Urban Clinic in the Milne Bay province is facing the same problem. Alotau Urban Clinic Health Extension Officer, Mr. Adam Sause said they often send their patients to the pharmacies to buy their drugs because basic drugs always run out fast.
“We currently have very short supplies of basic drugs like Panadol and Amoxicillin because many of the people who come in need these basic drugs.”
Mr. Sause said, the drugs don’t last a month due to the number of patients they get on a daily basis.
“We receive up to 60 to 70 patients a day and the supply of drugs they get is not enough.”
He further stated that due to the wet weather, they are treating many of their patients with weather related illnesses with the basic drugs.
“We have plenty of people who come in and we treat them with Panadol and amoxicillin because of the flu and headaches. Malaria is also a common case that we get to treat every day.”
However, the good news Mr. Sause said is that they should expect the next shipment of medial drugs by the end of this month, which is just a couple of weeks away.