FOR months the National Referral Hospital (NRH) Labour Ward has run out of vital maternal care items forcing pregnant mothers to pay for their own at private pharmacies.
Reports reaching the Solomon Star claimed, the situation had prompted nurses to advise mothers admitted at the Labour Ward to buy these items from pharmacies.
Laboring mothers in the Caesarean section (C-section) are being advised by their nurses to buy Urine bag which costs $20, Cord clamp, which costs $10, Betadine (100ml), which costs $65, Surgical glove (size 7.5), which costs $19, Surgical glove, which costs $10 a pair and shaving gear, which costs $5, it was revealed.
These items can be bought from Hyperchem or People’s Pharmacy.
Speaking to the Solomon Star, an insider who requested anonymity, said even the sterile surgical glove which is the only right glove to use when attending to laboring mothers for childbirth is out of stock.
“Sometimes nurses were forced to use disposal gloves, which is against the nurse’s Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) rules.
“Nurses should be wearing proper gloves when delivering babies and disposal gloves are not the right gloves to use.
“Nurses should use sterile surgical gloves, which are safe for both the nurses and the mothers. The use of unproper gloves expose nurses and mothers to diseases such as Hepatitis B,” the insider said.
“Disposal gloves come in small boxes and as soon as they are opened, they are already exposed to bacteria and germs.
“The sterile surgical gloves come in individual packets, which are only opened when they are ready for use,” she added.
Apart from these maternal care items, NRH is also experiencing shortages in Hepatitis B test kit for blood screening, a blood screening process that pregnant mothers must also go through.
Another anonymous insider told the Solomon Star that shortages in items had already been reported to the Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) but they are still waiting for their response.
“As we know, these documents have to go from table to table for approval. But if one officer is absent today and therefore is not able to see the documents, they will be delays in the approval process.”
The insider also disclosed to Solomon Star that a container containing these out-of-stock items has already in the county but is held up at the Honiara port due to some unsettled clearance fees from previous ministry containers.
The Solomon Star had sought response from Ministry’s Media Unit in the week but has received no response.
However, in a separate response issued on Saturday the National Medical Stores clarified, there is sufficient national stock of sterile gloves and gauze of all sizes that is available.
This was in response to a recent social media posts. While Betadine 10% antiseptic solution is currently out of stock and Betadine 7.5% is in low supply, the Ministry and the National Medical Stores are actively monitoring the stock levels of these items alongside the team at NRH and taking steps such as moving and distribution of supplies to address these supply and stock issues.
The statement follows claims by a medical worker at NRH on social media that items such as gauze rolls, Betadine antiseptic solution, and sterile gloves were either limited or out of stock and advised the public to purchase their medication for use at the NRH operating theatres.
The statement assured, the Ministry is working closely with relevant authorities to ensure the containers carrying Betadine antiseptic solution and other important medical supplies and consumables that arrived in Honiara on December 26th and are yet to arrive in the coming days and months are cleared quickly so that supplies at health facilities are replenished in a timely manner.
By AGNES MENANOPO
Solomon Star, Honiara
