By Shauna Jemmott

THE Georgetown Public Hospital has disputed claims that there is a shortage of basic drugs at its pharmacies and at other local health centres connected to it.An article published in Kaieteur News last Saturday under the headline “Basic medication absent at GPHC” reported that patients had complained of being asked to purchase basic medications, since there was a “shortage of critical drugs.”

The article listed panadol, aspirin, and Lanoxin injection to 70/30 insulin as some of the “critical drugs” in short supply, but the hospital’s Bond Manager June Barry told the Guyana Chronicle that the hospital is short on only one of the drugs mentioned, the insulin 73.30, and is expecting delivery anytime, since an order had been placed weeks now.

“One item that is mentioned, the insulin 73.30, we’re short of that, but it’s on order. We’re expecting it anytime, but we have other insulin,” Barry said.

Concerning the other drugs listed, she declared: “It’s in the warehouse; (that’s) proof that we have it!”

She said the “Lanoxin” is just a brand, and not a particular drug, and even if it were true that the hospital was out of Lanoxin injection, there would have been other brands available.

The report stated that the hospital was without the basic drugs for more than three weeks, and it was unclear when the medications would have been in stock at the facility.

Administrative Manager at the hospital, Yvonne Bullen, said along with those already available in the various pharmacies, the bond currently has in stock some 306,000 panadol tablets. All the other drugs, with the exception of the insulin, are available at the various hospital pharmacies and health centres, including the main pharmacy, the paediatric pharmacy, the accident and emergency pharmacy, the psychiatric pharmacy; and at Kitty, Industry and Enmore Health Centres.

“We have had it for quite a while, and the pharmacies would order from here; and as long as we have, they would have,” she said.

Barry said she does not understand how such information could have reached Kaieteur News, and has warned the media to be careful of publishing unconfirmed reports which can negatively affect the hospital’s credibility.

“I would like to say that, many of the items, we have them in stock, with the exception of the injection; all except the insulin 70.30 insulin for the adults, which we would have requested but, unfortunately, were unable to obtain that from the central procurement department,” Barry emphasized.

“We’re trying our best to ensure that we’re adequately in stock of all essential medicines. We are currently working to get some anesthetics in, but everything else is okay in relation to most of the medications,” Barry stated.