News Article
Original Article
HEADLINE: Malaria Killing Scores As Hospital Runs Out of
Medicine
DATELINE: The Daily Monitor (Addis Ababa) - September 21, 2000
LOCATION: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Malaria is killing several people due to the
absence of glucose and medication, according to a report published by
Ifoyta, a party owned weekly. The paper reported an undisclosed but a large
number of people including children who cannot take oral medicine are
dying.
It quoted hospital officials as saying that they have run out of medicine.
Moreover, the region's malaria control office said because it had run out of
slides and the necessary chemicals, it has been forced to abandon the task of making blood examinations.
Administrator of Gambella Hospital Ato Hukoch Agid, who admitted the
depletion of medication in the hospital disclosed that there was no budget
allocated for a restocking. He explained the hospital has no money to
purchase the required medicines but has made the Regional Health Bureau
aware of the problem.
Ato Osman Agud, who is head of the region's health bureau, in turn
acknowledged the notice given by the hospital. But, he explained his office
has asked EPHARM, a government owned pharmaceutical, to give them a
proforma invoice.
He explained that since they are prohibited to buy the medicine from
elsewhere, they have to wait for the response from EPHARM, which they will
relay to the Regional Finance Bureau in order to get the necessary funds for
the purchase. The Regional Finance Bureau will not release the funds
unless it gets a copy of the Proforma Invoice from EPHARM.
"That is why, he said, we have been unable so far to meet the needs of the
hospital."
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