DILI, 27 december 2022 (TATOLI) – The Ministry of Health, through the Timor-Leste Medical and Pharmaceutical Agency (SAMES.IP), destroyed expired drugs and medical consumables, worth US$473,237.68.
A total of 107 items of medicines and 48 items of medical consumables were destroyed at the Tibar dump, which includes 870 vials of AstraZeneca and 1320 vials of Pfizer Covid-19 vaccines.
The Executive Director of the Timor-Leste Medical and Pharmaceutical Agency (SAMES.IP), Santana Martins said 153 items of medicines and medical consumables came from the National Hospital Guido Valadares (HNGV), 105 items of reagents and laboratory consumables from the National Health Laboratory (NHL), and nine items of narcotics and psychotropics came from Stanford Medical Company.
“Of the US$473,237.68, about US$316,435.66 came from the State Budget (SB), US$93,444.21 from the Global Fund, US$434.81 from UNICEF, US$32,742.60 from UNFPA, US$26,050.50 from WHO and US$4,129.68 from UNDP,” he said.
Martins said the percentage of expired drugs and medical consumables in 2022 is much lower than in previous years: “So we have reduced it to two percent this year from about 10 percent last year. Currently, there is a 29 percent stockout of medicines at SAMES. But we still have 71 percent of essential medicines available.”
The destruction of expired medicines and medical consumables was attended by the Director of HNGV, the Executive Director of SAMES, community leaders of Tibar village and SAMES staff, etc.
Journalist: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Nelia Borges
