Investigation ongoing following missing drugs at Kilu’ufi Hospital

By Alfred Pagepitu

The Ministry of Health and Medical Services has confirmed an ongoing investigation into the disappearance of essential medical drugs at the Kilu’ufi Hospital in Malaita Province.

Minister for Health and Medical Services, Dr. Paul Bosawai, told SIBC News that the issue is being treated seriously.

“It is still an allegation, but we are allowing the investigation to proceed and reveal the truth,” said Dr. Bosawai.

He mentioned that there is no concrete evidence yet, but if the investigation implicates health staff, it will be considered a serious offense with potential criminal consequences.

The incident has shocked medical staff at Kilu’ufi Hospital, who find it hard to believe that such a significant amount of essential medicines could vanish without a trace.

Dr. Bosawai noted that while national-level medical storage has improved, provincial medical stores still encounter challenges in supply chain management.

“These provincial medical stores serve as our secondary distribution points. It’s alarming to hear that there are still weaknesses in their systems,” he stated.

Discussions are already in progress to enhance the system and explore the use of digital tools for monitoring supplies and batch numbers.

“We aim to strengthen medicine monitoring, especially for shipments to provinces and rural areas,” said Dr. Bosawai.

“If the investigation reveals involvement of a public officer, appropriate disciplinary and legal actions will be taken, including referral to the Ministry of Public Service,” he said.

The Health Minister also mentioned that he was informed about the missing drugs before media reports emerged.

“I had already received the information via email and promptly directed our executive team and National Medical Store Manager to investigate the situation at Kilu’ufi,” he explained.

Dr. Bosawai expressed deep concern over the incident, especially after recently increasing the Ministry’s budget to address medicine shortages nationwide. ”

“As Minister for Health, this is disheartening. I urge the people of Malaita, particularly those around Auki, to respect and safeguard our health facilities and the medicine supply chain.”

“All medicines are provided free of charge for Solomon Islanders. Please refrain from stealing or damaging these essential supplies,” he stressed.

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