Better drug deal sought

By Rebecca Kuku - The National

PRIME Minister James Marape says the Government is reviewing and looking into alternative ways to improve its procurement and supply of medicines (pharmaceutical drugs) for the people.
“And we will be talking to donor partners, including Australia, on how best to procure and supply medicines in the country,” he told The National on Friday.
Marape was responding to The National’s front-paged report on Friday titled “Doctors: Stop drug contracts”.
The report quoted the National Doctor’s Association (NDA) questioning the Government’s rationale of awarding contracts to the private sector for the supply of medical kits and medicine.
“Why can’t the Government set up its own department to procure medical kits and medicine directly, either, from the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended agents, like the International Dispensary Association (IDA) or equivalent, or directly from manufacturers in Asia, Australia, the US or Europe?
“Generic medicines procured this way will be cheaper and effective,” NDA secretary and chief of emergency medicine Dr Sam Yockopua lamented.
Marape said the two contracts, worth more than K100 million, awarded to Borneo Pacific Pharmaceutical Ltd (BPPL) to supply medical kits and antibiotics, as announced by Health secretary Pascoe Kase on Wednesday, was only for one year to ensure the country did not face shortages of medicine.
“It is only for a year and the contracts have already been signed,” he said.
In December, 2013 Australia withdrew its funding for a A$38 million (K87 million) project to Papua New Guinea’s health centres due to concerns on the way contracts for the supply and distribution of medicines and pharmaceutical drugs were awarded.
Meanwhile, Yockopua said the NDA would be presenting their demands to the Government tomorrow for the immediate change of the health secretary and the suspension of the two contracts awarded to Borneo Pacific Pharmaceutical Ltd.
Yockopua said that doctors would walk off their jobs if their demands were not met in seven days.
“We have 10 valid points on why we want the secretary to be changed, shortages of medicine and a review and revamp on the procurement and supply of medicines and pharmaceutical drugs,” he added.

Go to this link for more: https://www.thenational.com.pg/better-drug-deal-sought/