CASTRIES, St. Lucia (CMC):

The St. Lucia-based Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) is encouraging Caribbean countries to adopt the strategy of sending donated medical supplies to a central location, particularly after a natural disaster such as Hurricane Dean.

Managing Director of the OECS Pharmaceutical Procurement Service, Francis Burnett, said on many occasions, donations sent by well intended donors were often useless to some recipients.

"Oftentimes, donors would give, for example, items whichthey get tax breaks from the country that it is being given and sometimes to offload unwanted and unnecessary items, as in the case of Jamaica where several cartons of Viagra was sent to the country after a hurricane," Burnett said.