The scarcity of medical supplies, such as the pretty common Terumo syringe disposable, in district hospitals and health centers all over the Philippines is not a new issue. And yet, in spite of this problem, we still see boxes of health materials and medical equipment in unopened boxes lying in some hospitals. What’s worse is that these supplies get thrown away even when they are still new.
With medical fees soaring high, we can’t help but ask over and over why these everyday medical supplies like the ear thermometer go to waste.
Hospital Supplies Go To Waste
Medical surplus or the usable supplies, the digital BP Omron for example, that hospitals throw out is cited as the main reason why health care costs and health insurance are quite expensive in the United States, as well as in the Philippines. It has been reported by the National Academy of Medicine in the US that these wastes add up to a whopping $765 billion a year.
Why would hospitals throw out perfectly functional items, you ask. These would be the answers:
- Arrival of updated models
- Change in medicine and medical equipment suppliers
- Infection control protocols
There are instances when an item like the gauze pad sterile gets thrown away because it was placed in a patient’s room even if it was still sealed and never opened.
If not for certain NGOs, these supplies will still continue going right down the drain. Several people, mostly hospital staffs, made an effort to stop this wasteful ways from happening again.
Where Do These Extra Supplies Go Now?
Non-profit organizations have stepped up to prevent medical supplies and equipment in perfect condition from going to the garbage. They have started shipping unused supplies to developing nations where health care is inadequate.
The warehouses they have put up are now packed to the ceilings with sealed packages of health items and apparatus like the oxygen regulator that would just be sent to the landfills if not for the NGOs.
Some of these warehouses are even worth $20 million with supplies that include the nebulizer, ultrasound machine and more.
Fortunately, third world countries now have a solution to the insufficient medical supplies they are being treated with in their health centers. As recipients of the medical surplus from the US, they receive dissecting set, colostomy bag, manual ventilator and more.
We can also help with this cause by sending some supplies to barangay health centers or by bringing our own supplies when we go the hospital. Be health conscious and have the best supplies from Philippine Medical Supplies on hand. Learn more about the nation’s top medical supplier and visit them today.
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