With the current drug shortages, health workers at the ANGAU Memorial Provincial Hospital, in Lae, are concerned that multidrug-resistant TB will increase in Morobe.
A health worker painted a distressful picture at the ANGAU outpatient, saying they have noted an increase in the number of the multidrug-resistant TB patients from the catchment area at Buimo.
Describing the situation as “scary”, he said they can only control MDR-TB if initial patients, who are on 6-month treatment, are on medication consecutively; no missing treatment, no running short of drugs.
Multidrug-resistant TB is more costly than TB, meaning the government will have to spend more.
This newsroom was advised that it costs K15,000 for one patient, for 6 months of treatment while treating one MDR-TB patient is K50,000 for 11 months of treatment.
On the other hand, it costs K100,000 to treat just one patient who has extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR TB), a rare type of multidrug-resistant TB.
Daru and the National Capital District have cases of extensively drug-resistant TB, with TB officers in Morobe saying they are fighting hard to get TB supplies to avoid this worst form of multidrug-resistant TB.
When asked to confirm the reports, Morobe Provincial Health Authority CEO, Dr Kipas Binga, said TB drug shortage is a nationwide issue.
He clarified that TB drugs do not follow the normal system of distribution, rather, there is a special arrangement between the health department and donor partners like the World Bank and The Global Fund.
“The recent drug shortages we have around the country is a national thing. Not just Morobe,” said Dr Binga.
“The concerns that we raised through the appropriate authorities was addressed and the drugs came about two weeks back and were distributed to the districts already.
“For Morobe, and this is something I’ve been really concerned about and I keep bringing it up to our team, and we’ve now written letters to all our TB officers in the province, warning them to give timely reports.
“Failing to do so will result in insubordination and they will be referred to the disciplinary committee.
“Part of that is to minimise the risk of drug shortages as a result of our failure or late reporting where reports come in late and we submit late requisitions.
“I would like to minimise that moving into the future so if it’s drug shortage then it has to be countrywide and not as a result of Morobe’s in-house issues.”