Drug supply was started in two hospitals in Guayaquil; relatives of patients still suffer from the lack of medicines and supplies that they have to buy daily Community Guayaquil

In outpatient and even outpatient care, the common complaint of patients and their families is that they spend a lot of money, whether on medicine, tickets, or blood tests, as it tells them that there is no reagents. This happens at the Abel Gilbert Pontón Hospital, in the suburb of Guayaquil.

The crisis in the supply of medicines to public hospitals intensified further with the COVID-19 pandemic, thousands of patients in the hospitals of the Ministry of Public Health (MSP) complained that they are not being given the treatments they need to their diseases both catastrophic as well as emergency or regular care by outpatient care.

More than two months ago, Vice President Borrero together with the Minister of Health, Ximena Garzón, visited the hospitals to identify the problems reported by the patients’ relatives. There they found that in addition to the medical deficit, there are also damaged medical equipment.

Last Tuesday, MSP representatives delivered five types of drugs to their winery in District 4 of Zone 8, in the suburb of Guayaquil, to take them to various hospitals. “These drugs are used to treat catastrophic diseases. They are dexmedetomidine, which is a sedative; enoxaparin, sildenafil, also propofol, and another oncology,” said Dr. Miguel Moreira, Deputy Minister of Comprehensive Health Care.

He added that from this list the hospital Abel Gilbert and Francesc de Ycaza Bustamante are the first to be treated with medical equipment.

He added that in the targeted emergency there is a list of 123 medicines that are urgently needed in hospitals nationwide. The MSP reported that the first purchase process included 30 drugs purchased, including sedatives, painkillers, oncologists, anesthetics, antibiotics, biologics, immunosuppressants, among others.

The Minister of Health, Ximena Garzón, explained that the drugs were bought that met the parameters established in price, quality and delivery time. “We have re-launched certain processes that do not meet the requirements. In addition, we will conduct an assessment of the critical nodes of the supply process. We thought that if there is no supply in the market as many pharmaceutical distributors have expressed, we will a direct purchase abroad, ”he stated.

Even gloves, serums and anesthesia for an operation must be bought by the relatives of those in public hospitals in Guayaquil.

This Wednesday the 15th, in a tour of this newspaper by hospitals such as Abel Gilbert, Marianita de Jesús and El Guasmo Sud, dozens of relatives of patients lamented that they still see their economy complicated with the budget they have to spend to buy the medicines and supplies from their loved ones.

Sonia López, who lives in Pascuales, commented that she brought her 21-year-old son who suffers from leukemia, it is the second hospitalization he has this year. “They send me to buy catheters, saline, gloves, gauze, acronistine and filgrastim, which cost me $ 14 each.” these drugs are expensive, I have to go to the distributors to get less. I have to be here all day in case I’m going to need some urgency, he’s already admitted for his second chemotherapy, “the woman commented.

Along with her, another citizen explained that his brother had his leg amputated, he is a diabetic and kidney patient.

“They give me the recipes and I’m just going to buy them, it depends on the day. When they send these exams out, this one cost us $ 130. I had to go to the lab, they give me the tubes, I take them here and they take his blood sample, and again I take them there for him to take the tests and see how he evolves, how much the taxi costs, more than $ 5, ”he lamented.

Also, Azucena, who suffers from breast cancer, explained that she was sent tests to be performed outside because there are no reagents, in addition to having to buy loratadine.

At Marianita de Jesus Hospital, relatives of patients commented that they are being asked to buy drugs such as ampicillins. “It’s three a day, we spend like $ 9 a day on these bottles, he’s 20 years old and he suffers from pancreatitis,” the patient’s sister explained.

While at the hospital of the Southern Guasmo, citizens explained that antibiotics such as meropenem and vancomycin, diapers, serum infusion equipment for pumps, omeprazole-type gastric protectors, among others, are requested. (I)