Samoa's national hospital rations medicine amid critical shortage

Samoa's national hospital is struggling with severe medicine shortages, forcing it to ration critical supplies. An urgent air freight shipment from Fiji's Pacific Specialist Healthcare (PSH) arrived last week, but it only covered about half of the country's needs.

Key medications such as metformin for type 2 diabetes, amlodipine for high blood pressure, and children's paracetamol are in critically low supply. The remainder of PSH's expected supplies are due in the coming weeks, leaving a gap in essential treatments.

Local media reports indicate that a significant backlog of SAT$12 million in unpaid supplier bills is a contributing factor to the ongoing shortages. Samoa Medical Association president Seiuli Dr George Tuitama told the Samoa Observer that the situation has even affected the mental health unit. He expressed hope that the government can resolve the crisis, noting that medication is being rationed by ensuring it is administered directly to patients, sometimes through home visits for those with mental health conditions.

The medicine shortage was previously identified as a barrier to effective medical care in Samoa during the Samoa Medical Association's annual general meeting last week.

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We're rationing our medication by making sure that we give the medication, in which we go out and give you, so if you've got a mental disorder, we come to your home and give you the medication daily.