In cases of drug shortages, health agency could issue voucher tenable at participating pharmacies

Dear Editor,

Following the Government’s successful Day of Prayers and Fasting, our medicine and health supplies system need much prayer and large doses of accountability and proper management. Recent news that some Ministry of Health employees have been allegedly involved in a scam to steal medicines have stirred enormous anger across Guyana. The Ministry must be commended for its vigilance.

Guyanese are tired of going to clinics and hospitals to be handed prescriptions to go purchase essential and sometimes costly medicines and supplies they need from private pharmacies, because the Government clinic or hospital does not have the drugs. The excuse they give is they ran out. This is just as bad as my relative being told in March to go back in June for his test/scan. This is so unacceptable!  People are quite ticked off that there appears to be organized criminal efforts by inside employees to steal medicines and supplies from Government Health organizations. This is not only morally reprehensible; it is simply unforgivable and the Ministry must do everything to make sure this practice is stamped out forever all across Guyana.

The shortage of medicines dates back to the days of Burnham and the PNC when everything was in short supply. Subsequent governments have not been able to squelch such  recurring corruption. Under the Coalition, one of their earliest scams that was a poster child for APNU+AFC corruption was the “drug bond scandal” that led to the removal of the Minister of Health. In Guyana, corruption cannot happen unless there is collaboration among conniving scoundrels, and this can go high up in an agency. It is “organized crime” similar to drug dealers running criminal enterprises.

In the case at the Ministry of Health’s Diamond drug bond – a director, a bond attendant, a retired Guyana Defence Force (GDF) officer and a doctor – were arrested as part of the investigations. One person was eventually remanded on five charges including the unlawful possession of guns and bribery. Police suspect that he, along with others, stole and sold a quantity of pharmaceutical products and other medical supplies from the bond. He was taken into custody after the police, who were responding to a report of larceny at the bond, carried out a search on a car there, and found a duffel bag containing a 9mm pistol and two rounds of 9mm ammunition, a .380 pistol with a magazine containing seven matching rounds of ammunition, and a total of $4,580,000 in cash, including US currency. There were 20 rounds of .380 ammunition in the side pocket of the bag, the police also said.

In 2020, a relative who was ailing with cancer got no medicines during the 5 months of rigging. Last year, she was told there were no drugs. My wife called President Ali and “leading with the heart” the President told her they will get the medicine. Both the President and Minister Anthony called our relative to say they will get the medicine. That promise was kept, but the missing months of medicine had already done its damage. When employees steal medicines, they are in effect robbing babies, old people, the sick and the maimed, people fighting to live, and the most vulnerable among us who struggle to make ends meet. In their moment of need, they either have to go without medicine or divert limited moneys to pay for something that our health care system should be providing. That is simply shameful.

We expect the Ministry of Health will have proper accounting and tracking systems at all clinics, hospitals, and storage bonds. We should not find out about fraud long after much harm has been done. Inventory management is not rocket science. How about if we create a system whereby in cases of shortages, the Health agency issues a prescription voucher to the patient tenable at participating pharmacies, and paid for by the Government? That way, citizens are not paying for the medicines. How about if there is an online complaints system or phone number that you can call to report shortages of drugs at clinics. This will alert the Government system of shortages so they can investigate and take emergency action? We expect efficiency as we reinvent and reform Government. We are tired of same old, same old. People should not have to go without medicine while oil companies ship away the bulk of our wealth. It’s our country and our wealth for all our people.

Sincerely,

Dr. Jerry Jailall