Port Moresby General hospital taking shape

PORT Moresby General Hospital had undergone massive change during the first year of Grant Muddle’s arrival as the chief executive officer in 2012.

The various activities that were undertaken to set the first stage of transformation for the hospital are detailed in a 78-page glossy annual report that was released to the media yesterday.

Mr Muddle’s team comprises hospital board chairman Sir Theophilus Constantinou and his eight board members and administration management.

Themed ‘A year of clean up and renovation’, the report shows that the hospital had deteriorated to a stage where almost every area of the hospital service needed to undergo change.

This change is expected to set a pace for progress to be made towards realising the Government’s overall vision, which is to provide a world class health service for Port Moresby and Papua New Guinea.

Health Minister Michael Malabag gave an overview of the Government’s vision for health care, stating also that PMGH was already a success story where real change was occurring.

"We have seen vast changes within the hospital.

"We have gone from being a hospital that was not productive, was overcrowded and had more than 5000 people essentially living in the hospital to an environment of efficiency, focused patient treatment and care, and with 85 per cent occupancy we are now able to deliver area health care service and health solutions for our patients,’’ said Mr Muddle in the report.

The report provides details of activities undertaken in various areas of the hospital such as the human resource, finance department, general services, (general and administration support service), catering services, security services, communication and switchboard, laundry services, environment, division of nursing and surgical and medical departments.

Recruitment for more staff has begun and would continue. Long standing issues such as relieving the backlog of patients in the emergency department were being addressed.

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill said in the report that PMGH was the leading healthcare facility in PNG and therefore must lead by example and set the highest standards in health care delivery.