Guides for treating malaria must be followed -ministry

The Ministry of Health is urging all private medical practitioners and pharmacies to adhere to the national guidelines developed for the diagnosis and treatment of malaria.

According to a Government Information Agency (GINA) press release the guidelines were developed by local and international practitioners and have been reviewed by the Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO) and are consistent with WHO guidelines.

The appeal stems from several incidents where private medical practitioners and pharmacies were found to be diverting from established diagnosis techniques and selling malaria medicines that are not consistent with either Guyana or WHO guidelines.

According to Minister of Health Dr Leslie Ramsammy such practices undermine Guyana’s efforts to curb and control the outbreak of malaria. He also noted that the practice of mono-therapy is not included in either the WHO or Guyana’s guidelines.

In the light of this the ministry urges private sector practitioners and pharmacies to desist from using and selling mono-therapy in the treatment of malaria. The ministry also said if private practitioners and pharmacies do not heed this warning it will consider restricting importation of malaria medicines by the private sector.

Additionally, the ministry advises the public to desist from purchasing malaria or any other medicine without a prescription from a doctor. GINA also said during the week the Food and Drug Department will be checking on pharmacies throughout the country to ensure that mono-therapies are not being stocked for malaria

Guyana is working to eradicate the malaria infection by 2015. The public is therefore asked to do its part by ensuring that their environs are kept clean.