Local August 12, 2022 | 2:18 pm

Hospitals urgently need more than $6 billion in drugs

In recent weeks, complaints have increased due to shortages of supplies.

Santo Domingo, DR.
The real need for medicines and medical supplies that the more than 190 hospitals of the Public and Military Network have is six billion pesos.

Part of these supplies and medicines are supplied through the Essential Medicines and Central Logistics Support Program (PROMESE/CAL), for which each hospital allocates 40% of its budget allocation, the rest being acquired through purchases from suppliers.

PROMESE receives an annual budget of around 853 million pesos and makes about 400 monthly dispatches.

Doris Hesni, PROMESE/CAL’s Director of Health Services and Procedures, spoke on the subject as she was heading this week the delivery of a batch of supplies and medicines valued at 4,241,524 million pesos to the Dr. Francisco Moscoso Puello Hospital after nurses denounced shortages and patients revealed that they are forced to buy the supplies they need.

The PROMESE/CAL executive reported that the agency is working to improve the budget allocation for the remainder of 2022 and 2023.

She explained that the institution receives an annual budget of approximately 853 million pesos, for 40% of each hospital’s budget, and makes around 400 monthly and complementary deliveries to more than 190 hospitals of the Public and Military Network while additionally making emergency deliveries as needed.

He pointed out that they are working to guarantee the supply in the hospitals of the Public Network within the budget availability, “however, we must emphasize that the real need for medicines and medical supplies exceeds 6 billion pesos.”

He specified that they maintain permanent communication with the National Health Service (SNS) and the directors of the hospitals to monitor the inventory levels of medicines and supplies and to make additions where necessary.

Consolidating demand
He explained that the SNS is in charge of consolidating the demand of all the hospitals of the Public Network through the Single System for the Management of Medicines (SUGEMI), and supplies it to Promese/CAL from where a monthly delivery schedule is carried out.

On the subject, the director of Promese, Adolfo Pérez, assured that this agency maintains the normal dispatches of supplies and medicines, both to Moscoso Puello and to the other hospitals and People’s Pharmacies in the country.

He emphasized coordination with hospitals.

Pharmacies.
“We are dispatching normally. According to our schedule and budget availability. Both to hospitals and pharmacies,” said Adolfo Pérez.

Medicines.
According to availability, the institution also promised to make the necessary reinforcements to guarantee that patients receive their medicines.

0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of

1 Comment
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Paul Tierney
August 14, 2022 9:12 am

Six billion pesos is about US$ 108 million dollars. It is a shame on this country that hospitals and social service agencies are crying for funds to support the basic needs of the public. All of that is happening while there are scandals in profusion having robbed the treasury of resources that could have remedied the want of drugs and medical supplies.