“You’ll be sent home” – Pres. Ali warns health officials bypassing medical supply system

Health officials who operate outside Guyana’s new centralised medical supply system will be sent home, President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali warned on Monday. The president issued this warning during a meeting with regional health officers (RHOs), hospital administrators, ministry officials, and the Chief Medical Officer (CMO).

He confirmed that the platform will become the sole system governing pharmaceuticals and medical supplies across the country’s health sector starting July 1. President Ali informed officials that the system carries clear standard operating procedures and defined sign-off responsibilities. “If you act outside of that, we have no other choice but to send you home,” he emphasised,

before stating, “The investment we are making to ensure the people of this country have the best possible healthcare includes our facilities, hospital administrators, and RHOs. These facilities come under your leadership.”

Under the new arrangement, regions can no longer purchase emergency drugs independently. Any emergency purchase now requires sign-off from the Director of Regional Health Services, the CMO, and the head of the materials management unit (MMU). A wider committee, including the minister, the advisor, the permanent secretary, and the chief pharmacist, will convene monthly via Zoom to determine emergency supply needs across the entire health system, covering the Georgetown Public Hospital and all regional hospitals.

President Ali said the system is designed to reduce losses from expiration, damage, and overstocking to below industry standards, with a dashboard that ensures real-time visibility of what is available.

The platform is already live, and on July 1, all other systems will be collapsed, leaving it as the only one in operation. “We know there are certain things that you can’t avoid stocking that you may not use, whether it’s venom, antivenom…But that is controlled by the MMU. There is absolutely no situation where the regions must be purchasing emergency drugs unless there is a clear sign-off on the system,” the president stressed.

The head of state was joined by Health Minister Dr. Frank Anthony and Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh.