Doctors In Aweil Hospital Accused Of Diverting Medical Drugs To Private Clinics
Residents of Aweil are accusing the management of Aweil hospital of diverting medical drugs to private clinics and pharmacies leaving the hospital without the necessary drugs to treat patients. 30 March 2017 Doctors In Aweil Hospital Accused Of Diverting Medical Drugs To Private Clinics Aweil hospital entrance By Agoth Abraham AWEIL, 30 March 2017 [Gurtong]-Aweil Civil hospital is the only referral hospital where major complicated health cases are handled across the entire region of Northern Bahr el Ghazal. The hospital gets its drugs from the National Ministry of Health in Juba. Like any other State in the country, the different types of drugs are sent to Aweil quarterly to help fill the gaps of drug shortage. Small portions of such drugs sometimes come from health partnering International organizations operating in the State. But still, patients and State residents feel the drugs disappear within the hospital and end up being told to go and buy drugs from the private clinics which is offered at a higher price. John Piol is one of the patients who went to Aweil Civil Hospital. After receiving his prescription he was sent to buy them from a clinic outside the hospital. “I was sent to the lab, I was tested, found positive of malaria, then after the prescription of the medicines; I was sent to the pharmacy but unfortunately there were no medicines in the pharmacy. I was told to go and buy them outside; I do not know why there are no medicines. We normally hear that there are medicines sent by the national government to State hospitals but we go there we can’t find them.” He said. Akuol Yak, another patient, says the practice has been a habit within the hospital for years. Joseph Kiir Garang, a resident says the only drugs that can be found in the hospital are pain killers. “Always whenever a sick person is taken to this hospital they never find drugs maybe just glucose drip or paracetamol. There was one time I came to this hospital with a patient at night but I could not get drugs in the hospital until they prescribed to me some drugs to go and buy outside. For my entire life I have been here in Aweil, there is no single day I have ever been given prescribed drugs in this hospital, I don’t know whether the drugs are stored or sold to private clinics, I have no idea.” He said. While reacting to the allegations, the Director of Aweil Civil Hospital, Dr. Aleu Pioth Akot said the hospital is lacking enough drugs to be used by the entire population. He says the quarterly supply of drugs received from the National Ministry of Health has delayed, forcing them to reserve the little stock they have for emergencies. “There is a delay! The last supply, I think we received last year in November. So that supply up to this time, I think the remainder of these medications is few and according to the population of this State, and the Neighborhood State like Aweil East and Lol, it is not enough for these patients.” He said. Dr. Aleu admits theft cases within the hospital but says administrative measures have been taken to prevent further cases from happening. He appeals to the national ministry to hurry up in sending supplies as soon as possible to avoid more complaints from patients. Early this year, a number of private pharmacy owners whom some of them work in the State-owned hospital were arrested and detained for alleged theft of drugs. Criminal Investigation Department (CID) had a thorough pharmacy-search scrutiny where some drugs were confiscated and owners detained for investigation. Out of 7 detained, two were later charged for being guilty in the court. Posted in: Home, Health - See more at: http://www.gurtong.net/ECM/Editorial/tabid/124/ID/20327/Default.aspx#sthash.ncrUZ36M.dpuf -- To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/d/forum/southsudankob View this message at https://groups.google.com/d/msg/southsudankob/topic-id/message-id For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "South Sudan Info - The Kob" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/SouthSudanKob. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/SouthSudanKob/CAJb14oreZRjbNwYatLkZVk-FZXmHwMHbBRAN1bXYC651V%3D%2BZvA%40mail.gmail.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
