WITH a growing crisis in the supply of chronic medicine in the province, the superintendent-general of the Eastern Cape health department, Dr Thobile Mbengashe, had to intervene personally on Monday to ensure patients received epilepsy medication.
Mbengashe explained that the national Department of Health had changed the suppliers for their chronic medicine.
“The new supplier has essentially the same drug but with a different name. The drug has the same safety and effectiveness,” he said.
Mbengashe said patients were switched to the different chronic medicine for hypertension and epilepsy.
“People who are on chronic epilepsy medication must note that they will now be given a tablet instead of a capsule,” he said.
Uitenhage mother Sandra Landman whose child uses paediatric epilepsy medicine said it has been a battle for her to get hold of the medicine every month.
“I have to buy about every third bottle we use myself. It is very expensive. It costs R300 a bottle – and you first have to go to the doctor to get a prescription and pay for that too.”
DA shadow MEC for health in the province Celeste Barker, said she received a phone call at about 10am on Monday informing her that Booysens Park, Chatty Clinic and West End clinic had all run out of medicine for epilepsy.
She later also confirmed that Kuyga Clinic also did not have epilepsy medicine.
“I phoned Dr Mbengashe and he was very helpful. He promised to organise the delivery of the medicine to the clinics outside the current supply contract,” she said.
She said Mbengashe also said he would ask that the clinic nurses be informed what alternatives can be prescribed in the meanwhile.
Officials at the Bedford Hospital confirmed the hospital had also run out of medicine.
The hospital, which has been supplying the surrounding clinics, have been waiting for liquid medicine for three months, Barker said.
The issue of possible drug stockouts in Nelson Mandela Bay was first raised by the DA about six weeks ago.
Barker said they are now demanding to know if the department has a contingency plan.
Health boss steps in to solve drug fiasco
Mbengashe explained that the national Department of Health had changed the suppliers for their chronic medicine.
“The new supplier has essentially the same drug but with a different name. The drug has the same safety and effectiveness,” he said.
Mbengashe said patients were switched to the different chronic medicine for hypertension and epilepsy.
“People who are on chronic epilepsy medication must note that they will now be given a tablet instead of a capsule,” he said.
Uitenhage mother Sandra Landman whose child uses paediatric epilepsy medicine said it has been a battle for her to get hold of the medicine every month.
“I have to buy about every third bottle we use myself. It is very expensive. It costs R300 a bottle – and you first have to go to the doctor to get a prescription and pay for that too.”
DA shadow MEC for health in the province Celeste Barker, said she received a phone call at about 10am on Monday informing her that Booysens Park, Chatty Clinic and West End clinic had all run out of medicine for epilepsy.
She later also confirmed that Kuyga Clinic also did not have epilepsy medicine.
“I phoned Dr Mbengashe and he was very helpful. He promised to organise the delivery of the medicine to the clinics outside the current supply contract,” she said.
She said Mbengashe also said he would ask that the clinic nurses be informed what alternatives can be prescribed in the meanwhile.
Officials at the Bedford Hospital confirmed the hospital had also run out of medicine.
The hospital, which has been supplying the surrounding clinics, have been waiting for liquid medicine for three months, Barker said.
The issue of possible drug stockouts in Nelson Mandela Bay was first raised by the DA about six weeks ago.
Barker said they are now demanding to know if the department has a contingency plan.
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