More Than $5 Billion Spent on Pharmaceutical Imports

KINGSTON — The Government has spent more than $5 billion on pharmaceutical imports over the past four years, the Ministry of Health is reporting.

Statistics from the Ministry show that budgetary allocations to procure pharmaceuticals increased from just over $1 billion in 2007/08 to approximately $3.7 billion, earmarked for the 2011/12 fiscal year. There were allocations of $2 billion and $2.4 billion in 2009/10 and 2010/11, respectively.

While not detailing what the pharmaceuticals entailed, Health Minister, Hon. Rudyard Spencer, has assured that the administration exercised due diligence in ensuring that the country got value for the money spent.

Speaking at the recent re-opening of the Lawrence Tavern Health Centre in St. Andrew, Mr. Spencer stressed that in its effort to procure the pharmaceuticals, the government did not proceed to “just import drugs, but rather, scoured every corner of the world,” to identify affordable pharmaceuticals.

“We were able (for example) to secure drugs at a better price in India (for the 2009/10 period), so the transactions were done with India. Every year that we are importing drugs, we are seeking out the best terms for the Jamaican people,” he argued.

Other countries, with which the administration has negotiated the procurement of pharmaceuticals, include: the United States, Canada, England and Latin America.

Meanwhile, Mr. Spencer is maintaining that the administration made the correct decision in abolishing user fees for persons using public health facilities islandwide. This move was effected in 2008.

 “There is no other investment that this Government could have made, that suits poor people better than this one. We have seen a steady increase, in the first two years, of visits to health centres, whilst declining at the hospitals,” he pointed out.

The Minister said there have been a few challenges, but the Government “is irrevocably committed to providing a health care (programme) for Jamaicans that will see them living longer and better."

He noted that included in the programme is the establishment, in the rural area, of a hospital for the training of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians and dialysis technicians, and improving the allocation for training.

Mr. Spencer said that the refurbishing of the Lawrence Tavern Health Centre, a Type III facility, was spearheaded by the South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA) at a cost of approximately $8 million, with funding provided by the National Health Fund (NHF).

The centre serves residents of communities in West Rural St. Andrew, including: Lawrence Tavern, Glengoffe, Burnt Shop, Temple Hall, Mahoney, Mount Ogle, Belmont, Cavaliers, Paisley, and Essex Hall.

By Douglas Mcintosh, JIS Reporter