Pharmacists shut down hospital dispensaries

Service at dispensaries at major hospitals — Port-of-Spain, San Fernando, Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex and health centres throughout the country — were suspended yesterday because scores of pharmacists failed to report for work. The North West Regional Health Authority (NWRHA), under whose purview the PoSGH and EWMSC falls, said its service had been “crippled” by the protest action. Four days ago Health Minister John Rahael said an “extra effort was being made” to address their concerns about remuneration and reclassification.

Pharmacists, however, were apparently not convinced. First vice-president of the Public Services Association (PSA), Stephen Thomas, said the authorities “always say they are working on it.” Thomas said pharmacists were still waiting to be reclassified, for letters of permanent appointment, and for salary increases arising out of negotiations settled by the PSA. Thomas cited the ten percent increase given to public servants for the period 1999-2001 and 15 percent increase negotiated by the PSA for 2002-2004. He wanted to know why pharmacists were left out. Thomas said when private pharmacies involved in the Chronic Disease Assistance Programme (CDAP) requested drugs from Government, they received their supplies in a timely manner.

“The public institutions send requests and wait for weeks. Then they get 20 percent of some items and 30 percent of others. They receive zero percent of critical drugs with high consumption. The public then vents their anger on the pharmacists.” Asked when pharmacists would return to work, Thomas said the pharmacists needed to see “results” and time frames for action. In a release, the NWRHA announced that assistance was provided by the Health Ministry for a contingency plan to be implemented from 2 pm yesterday at PoSGH pharmacy. “Four pharmacists will man the pharmacy at PoSGH dealing only with emergency cases.” The NWRHA reported that a similar plan would be implemented at San Fernando General Hospital, where all 15 pharmacists were absent yesterday. Couva and Marabella District Health Facilities also had no pharmacists.

The sickout caused mostly hospital out-patients to be turned away after they were greeted with the closed  shutters at the South hospital’s dispensary booth. Yesterday was cardiovascular (heart), asthma and diabetes clinics at SFGH. These clinics are attended mostly by elderly people. Basdeo Ramkissoon, an 85-year-old Penal woman, who is a cardiovascular patient at SFGH, broke down in tears as she limped out the hospital yesterday minus her drugs. “I must take 11 tablets every day because I have heart problems. I don’t know what to do now.” By mid-morning, the hospital’s dispensary was empty.

And while so-called contingency plans were reportedly implemented at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital, not one tablet was dispensed yesterday at the SFGH or the SWRHA’s 33 health clinics. In the Eastern RHA, chief executive officer Essau Mohammed said community service had been shut down because no service was possible at all health centres. At the Sangre Grande Hospital, four pharmacists were rostered but only one was working “to address emergencies and warded patients.”