Temporary medical drug distribution center setup  

After fire gutted the Area Medical Store in Lae, the Morobe Provincial Health Authority, in coordination with the Department of Health, has found a temporary storage solution in Lae.

Omega Manua, President of the PNG Pharmaceutical Society, praised the Department of Health’s swift action.

“They’ve done well by consulting one of our country’s major suppliers, City Pharmacy, to assist in securing a warehouse,” Mr Manua said.

He added that the initial decision was to use PNG Defence Force warehouses but was put off because the warehouse condition was unsuitable for medicine storage.

Pradeep Panda, Head of Pharmacy at City Pharmacy, clarified that the company was not directly involved.

“While there may be some short-term shortages, I expect the situation will improve very quickly.” Panda said.

Meanwhile, the burning of AMS in Lae in September destroyed millions of Kina worth of medical supplies intended for about 200 health facilities across Morobe, Eastern Highlands, Manus, Northern, and Madang Provinces.