A SHORTAGE of medicines, including vaccinations for children and life-saving drugs, allegedly persists at Bahrain’s public healthcare facilities.
The Cabinet last month allocated BD15 million for the urgent purchase of more than 650 types of medicines, the equivalent of four months’ stock, following concerns about a lack of availability.
However, parents continue to complain about the non-availability of vaccinations for four-year-olds at health centres, while patients say a shortage of medicines for cholesterol, diabetes and heart disease continues at Salmaniya Medical Complex (SMC).
“On July 23 I received a call from Shaikh Jaber Health Centre in Barbar, which I thought would be a reminder for the vaccination of my four-year-old son,” said a Bahraini mother on condition of anonymity.
“But the staff nurse called to inform that the vaccination was not available.
“I asked the nurse why, but she didn’t give me a proper reply.
“My son was to take his third and final booster dose of the vaccination, which I understand completes the purpose of the vaccination at this age.
“I asked if I should take it from a private hospital, but she said no and asked me to wait till I was contacted by the health centre.
“Until now I haven’t heard back from them.
“I consider vaccinations very important and I am concerned.”
Concerns
The Abu-Saiba resident said she learnt the vaccinations, provided for free at government health centres, cost BD60 to BD80 at private hospitals.
Another parent raised similar concerns, complaining about a shortage at a health centre in Bilad Al Qadeem.
“My wife went to get the vaccination for my newborn and she inquired about the dose for my four-year-old, which is scheduled for this month,” said the Bahraini father, who didn’t want to be named.
“But she was told the vaccination was not available and the nurse suggested we take it from private hospitals, if we could not wait.”
However, staff at private hospitals say there has been no increase in demand from people seeking to pay for the vaccinations – suggesting parents are instead waiting until government stocks are replenished.
“The three vaccination doses for four to five-year-olds are the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV), Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) and Diphtheria, Pertussis, and Tetanus (DTP),” said a senior doctor.
“These are given free of charge in public healthcare, whereas in the private sector the costs vary from hospital to hospital – from BD15 and above.
“We haven’t seen any unusual demand for these vaccine doses.”
Patients also complained about a shortage of the cholesterol-lowering medicine Simvastatin, marketed under the brand name Zocor, in public health centres.
Stock
The statin drug helps lower bad cholesterol and fats, reducing the amount of cholesterol made by the liver.
“The medicine is provided free by health centres and many people need to take it on a daily basis, but it is costing them BD8 in private pharmacies,” said sources.
Meanwhile, a video emerged online of a Bahraini patient at SMC describing a shortage of medicines for his diabetes and heart condition.
“Medicines have not been available in the hospital for a month for my conditions,” alleges the patient, who identifies himself as Mohammed Jaffer.
“I have diabetes and a heart condition.”
According to sources, Mr Jaffer needed Isoptin (a drug for high blood pressure), asthma drug Montelukast and folic acid, but allegedly had to dip into his personal stock at home because it was not available in the hospitasl.
Medication
“I don’t think I now have enough stock at home to last a month,” he says in the video.
However, he told the GDN yesterday that he had since been supplied the required medication by SMC.
An order to review management procedures at SMC and health centres was ordered by Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa last month, after the medicines shortage emerged.
He also called for a study on the possibility of the Health Ministry purchasing medicines directly whenever necessary, in co-ordination with the Finance Ministry and a ministerial finance committee, and tasked Health Minister Faeqa Al Saleh with compiling a report on causes of the drug shortage at SMC, despite a BD50m annual budget to buy stock.
The Health Ministry has not responded to the GDN’s repeated requests for a comment.
raji@gdn.com.bh
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