Govt still searching for new medicine storage
The government is still searching for a new premises in which to store medicines, spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said on Tuesday.
Speaking to journalists, he said Health Minister Michael Damianos is working in “close cooperation” with Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades to “find a suitable state-owned location, if there can be one.”
Letymbiotis also insisted that the government had already been looking at new premises prior to the flood which destroyed large quantities of medicine at the current premises, costing over €880,000, during inclement weather in March.
He added, “rest assured, as a government, we have repeatedly said that this matter must be fully investigated. We must look at why this happened.”
His words come after a multi-page report was submitted to Damianos on Monday, after it emerged that the current premises were leased by his ministry to a private contractor for €6,600 per year, and then re-leased back to his ministry for €135,000 per year – a markup of more than 2,000 per cent.
Damianos on Monday made assurances that there is currently no shortage of medicines, and that Cyprus’ medicine supply would not be hit by the flood.
“The ministry has the mechanisms both locally and internationally to ensure the supply of medicine,” he said.