“USD 1 million is spent on medicines each month”

“It’s nonsense”, said Ricky Kromodihardjo, general director at the State Health Foundation (SFZ), in response to the complaints of certain people about the shortage of medicines. “They say that there are no medicines but that is not true”, said the SZF director at the opening of a pharmacy in the Hamptoncourt Polider in the Nickerie District on Wednesday. The SZF director explained that the SZF spends more than USD 1 million (SRD 9 million) on medicines every month. He pointed out that the SZF’s pharmacies have medicines that are on the SZF index which is even longer than the index of the NGK. “This is a list of essential medicines that is compiled by a committee of the Health Ministry.” Experience has taught the SZF that more things must be added to the index. “When people scream that there are no medicines they must take certain factors into account. It is possible that a certain medicine is out of stock temporarily at a certain pharmacy. But that does not mean that there is a nationwide shortage. It also does not mean that the SZF does not pay for those medicines or that the medicine supply is below standards”, said Kromodihardjo who assured the nation that there are enough medicines in stock.

Health Minister Antoine Elias pointed out that the SZF actually spends 40 percent too much on medications every month because the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) in a recently published report indicated that the Surinamese people squander their medicines. Minister Elias urged the Surinamese people to get advice from their family doctors because “they are destroying their health by swallowing medicines at random”. He explained that he is working with the data from the PAHO. The Health minister pointed out that the SZF should in fact spend only USD 400,000 on medicines every month. “A mind shift is needed.”