NATIONAL NEWS - Patients might have to buy their medicine from private pharmacies due to a shortage of medicine in most of Gauteng hospitals.
A total of 64 essential medicines are unavailable at Gauteng public hospitals.
This was revealed by Gauteng Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu at the Gauteng Legislature.
However, medicine shortages vary at different hospitals, depending on the level of care that is given.
Helen Joseph Hospital was revealed as one of the hospitals that has 46 kinds of medicine that’s missing.
According to Mahlangu, “86 per cent of vital medicines and 76 per cent of essential medicines are available.”
Mahlangu also stated that if stocks are low, patients get a one-month supply instead of the usual three-month supply, and that institutions assist each other where medicines are in short supply.
