'Cash and Carry' hits patients in Tamale

About five pharmacies and chemical shops in the Northern region that were providing health insurance services to patients have withdrawn their contract with government due to the outstanding debts.

For the past two days, the only private pharmacy (Peekay Gombila Pharmacy) in the Tamale metropolis that accepts health insurance card has also withdrawn its services with immediate effect, leaving hundreds of subscribers with no option than to revert to the cash and carry system.

As at the time Atinka News got to the Peekay Pharmacy Thursday morning, some insurance subscribers were being asked to pay for each single item, while those who could not pay cash had to go without the drugs.

In an interview with atinkaonline, aide to the Chief Executive Officer of Peekay pharmacy said government owes them about GHC21 billion and efforts to retrieve the money have hit a snag.

He added that, their major pharmaceutical supplier has threatened to halt supplying them drugs until they fulfill their part of the contract. According to him, service will only resume when government pays all the arrears . He said diabetic and 'BP' patients will be mostly affected because of the nature of their drugs.

Some of the affected subscribers bemoaned the situation saying they had to return home and organize some monies for the drugs, with others blaming government appointees for not pushing for the payment of the debt, and daily spend huge amount in their private dealings, whilst the poor surfer for medical health Care.

The tamale teaching hospital according to source is short of drugs hence subscribers are all referred to Peekay Pharmacy.

He appealed to the authorities to adhere to their call and settle the debts.