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Scandal continues in the Oncology hospital/ Lack of medicines and broken equipment

2024-09-26 21:32:00, Aktualitet CNA

Scandal continues in the Oncology hospital/ Lack of medicines and broken

A few weeks after the scandal that affected the Oncology Hospital at QSUT, where doctors had created a scheme to take patients to the private sector, this ward continues to languish.

Hundreds of patients with cancer are suffering in this hospital, risking their lives. Fiks Fare has made an observation for several weeks in this hospital, where there are shortages of vital medications and breakdowns of vital equipment to do chemotherapy and radiation. But, surprisingly, medicines that are for hospital use are found in pharmacies near the QSUT.

In the last two days, on Wednesday and Thursday (26.09.2024), hundreds of patients suffering from colon cancer have been notified by phone by the staff of this hospital that the apparatus that makes these rays has broken down.

Colon and ovarian medicines are missing

Fiks Fare has made an observation for a few weeks at the Oncology Hospital at QSUT, where the lack of two medications, which are used for chemotherapy, was found. These two medications are "Irinotecan", which is used to treat colon cancer, and "Carboplatin", which is used to treat advanced ovarian cancer.

According to the statements of some patients, they showed that they encountered many difficulties in finding medicines for chemotherapy. Two patients say that they buy the drug at a private pharmacy near the QSUT, since it is not available at the Oncology Department, and that, after buying it privately, they do it at the hospital. Even the head nurse and an oncology nurse admit that these two medications have been missing for days and that they don't know when they can arrive. The head nurse said that he sent a message in the morning that these medications are missing and that they are waiting for their response.

"Carboplantina" can be replaced, but it does not have the same effect! "These medicines are in short supply and we don't know when they might arrive. She says that the medicine "Irinotecan" has no substitute", says the head nurse.

Oncology officials admit that there are shortages of two medications, but they are easily found in private pharmacies even though they are hospital medications. Fiksi did not find the medicine in Oncology, but in a private pharmacy, very close to the door of QSUT!

"Irinotecan" and "Carboplatin" are two medications that are not allowed to be sold in pharmacies. In one of the pharmacies near the QSUT hospital, they managed to find "Carboplatin", which cost 100 thousand ALL.

After these problems, Fiksi went to the Directorate of the "Mother Teresa" Hospital to ask about the two vital medications. But, even in these offices, you find other patients and their relatives who want to be treated. They were waiting for an answer about the lack of the drug "Irinotecan". One of the citizens says that it is the fourth time that there have been such shortages and that this is turning into a very big problem, since they are not able to get the medication on time.

Also, the patient said that she has 4 chemotherapy treatments that she has not done, which she is postponing day by day as a result of the lack of this medicine and it is always the same situation. This is a medicine that can only be taken near the hospital, as it is not allowed to be sold in the pharmacy.

Whereas, for private hospitals, patients say that they cannot afford to receive them. They also said that they have gone several times to the offices of QSUT for information, but they do not receive any answers.

One of the patients who was in that office stated that she made a request to the Ministry of Health and in the response that came from them, she was told that the medicine "Irinotekan" is not in short supply in Oncology and that the hospital has been supplied. But, even after this answer, the hospital lacks this medication!

QSUT: The money is there, but there have been delays in supply and production!

The head of information says that the drug "Irinotecan" is in short supply, while for "Carboplatin" she said that there is no information. "'Irinotekani' will come on Monday and that this is my last answer," says the manager. She also adds that the warehouse-warehouse from which they get this medication is not in condition at the moment.

Fiks Fare requested an official information from the "Mother Teresa" University Hospital Center. This institution, in their response, states that: "Regarding your request for the drug 'Irinotekan', we inform you that we have sufficient supply to cover the needs and every patient is receiving the therapy indicated by the doctors." However, the patients say the exact opposite, who said they lost 4 chemotherapy sessions due to the lack of this drug.

Further, in response QSUT adds that "there is a contract in force for the supply of the drug 'Irinotekan' and the supply has been periodic, but in sporadic cases we have had delays in the supply of this medicine". So the Hospital admits that there were delays in the supply of this medicine!

Meanwhile, regarding the lack of the drug "Carboplatin", QSUT writes that "there is a contract for its supply, but as a result of production problems, we have occasionally encountered shortages, which are related to production, not funds or procedures of QSUT. From our side, all measures have been taken to cover the needs." For both medicines, the Hospital management has admitted that there are shortages. Absences that make the lives of patients with serious diseases difficult and dangerous!

The X-ray equipment is broken, the doctors: Now, with hope in God!

More information about the Oncology Hospital has arrived at the Fiks Fare editorial office. Patients and their families also complain about the X-ray machine, which is given to patients with colon cancer.

These patients must do a series of treatments, 5 times a week, from Monday to Friday, without interruption. The whole process takes about 1 month.

However, on Wednesday and Thursday (today, 26.09.2024) the patients and their families were informed by the Oncology staff that this device was broken. According to doctors and staff, an attempt is being made to fix it, but it failed on Wednesday and Thursday. For Friday, the staff writes that "with God's hope".

Fix's camera went to the Oncology Hospital again, where he asked the staff about the breakdown of this X-ray machine. They admit that a device called "Vomit" has been broken for several days. According to them, another similar device works, but it is not effective.

The actions or inactions of the managers of the Oncology Hospital risk every day that thousands of patients will not be treated with medicines and vital equipment./ TCH