WHILE acute shortage of medicine continues to intensify in hospitals across the nation, the Ministry of Health and Medical Services has begun the blame game for the delay in clearing the urgently needed drugs from Point Cruz wharf.
Nine containers have been sitting at Point Cruz wharf since March this year. One container had to be removed because it was leaking, Solomon Islands Ports Authority (SIPA) said.
The Ministry of Health and Medical Services is now blaming the Ministry of Finance and Treasury for the delay in clearing the containers.
“The Ministry of Health and Medical Services sent all the paper work to the Ministry of Finance and Treasury to pay for the release of the containers, but Treasury has been sitting on the matter,” according to the Ministry of Health.
That version has been hotly contested.
According to SIPA, trading as Solomon Ports, the consignment does not attract import duties because it is a Government consignment.
It is free, Solomon Star was told.
The problem is that no one from the Ministry of Health and Medical Services has been to see authorities at Point Cruz wharf about clearing the consignment.
“Practically, they have ignored the containers of medical supplies which could very well contain life-saving drugs.”
According to the Bill of Lading, the consignee is the Ministry of Health and Medical Services, information obtained by Solomon Star has confirmed.
A bill of lading is a document accompanying freight that states the agreement between the shipper and the carrier and governs their relationship when goods are transported. It details the cargo in the shipment and gives title or ownership of that shipment to the receiving party specified on the document.
The Cambridge Dictionary defines consignee as the person or company to whom goods or documents are officially sent or delivered.
By Alfred Sasako
