Bahrain Mirror: Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health Waleed Al-Mana'a admitted the presence of medicine crisis at the ministry, but he said that the matter doesn't exceed "shortage of medications" and doesn't form a crisis.

He explained in a press statement that there is shortage in some medications, due to the system of meeting orders from manufacturers.

He added that the ministry gives 5 million prescriptions annually, and accordingly, there is a shortage in certain types of medications, such as with "aspirin" or blood pressure medications in hospitals and health centers, but the Ministry continues to meet the required items or find alternatives.

"We do not hide that there is a shortage of some medications, and this problem occurs in many countries because it is related to the manufacture and export of medicines, and there is a system to cover applications, when "Morphine" medicine is not found in a Gulf country and is available in another country, the unified purchasing system covers the shortfall. On the local level, when there is a shortage of type and it is available in a hospital, we cover the shortfall within the national purchase either in the Salmaniya medical complex or the military hospital or King Hamad Hospital, and we complete each other according to a joint mechanism," Al-Mana'a further stated.

He concluded saying that the ministry covers up to 70% of medications, and the rest percentage is covered with alternatives until the arrival of the required amounts.

Arabic Version