In Papua New Guinea a Port Moresby medical clinic has raised serious concerns over the quality of drugs that are being given to tuberculosis patients.
The Post Courier newspaper reports the clinic saying its supply of the TB drug, ethambutol, which it had been prescribing to around 100 patients, had become defective, with the tablets going soft and powdery.
The clinic had raised the matter with the provincial disease control office and the national TB program, but had been instructed to continue to supply the same drugs.
A clinic staff member told the paper that they feared for their safety as the fact they may be sued by patients unhappy with the state of the drugs.
An official from the national TB program says it is normal for ethambutol to turn powdery, but that it is still safe and can still be used.
