Health services in PNG need a lift

THE shortage of medicine and manpower, plus the poor attendance of staff, are some of the challenges facing Gerehu General Hospital and other government health facilities, a doctor says.
National Capital District (NCD) health authority chief executive officer Dr Steven Yennie accused the Government of overlooking the issues for decades.
He was responding to the concern raised by a Gerehu resident on the need to improve health services.
Yennie said the resident highlighted areas of concern to be addressed by the hospital management.

“Insufficiency of funding or sustainable financing by the government affects our efforts to providing effective services in all our health facilities and Gerehu is no exception,” he said.
“We need consistent and long-term funding support from the government and development partners so healthcare services are not being hindered to the detriment of the patients.
“Gerehu General Hospital recently merged with NCD health services to form the NCD health authority. It means the combining of administrative, governance and operational functions of both entities into a singular structure is a mammoth task.
“This transitional period has had numerous flow-on effects on our clinical services at Gerehu and other facilities in the city.
“Keeping the hospital fully functional without any hiccups is not a possibility so the writer and the general public must be clearly informed.”
Dr Yennie said the authority was working to improve the healthcare services at Gerehu and some of the developments included:

• INSTALLATION of x-ray facilities, laboratory, birthing and operating theatre;
• PUSH for the establishment of the Meteroia clinic at Hanuabada (funded by AusAID);
• ENGAGING in discussion with Department of Defence to revive the Taurama Military Hospital;
• LOOKING at the proposed modernised clinic at the Parliament House; and,
• SIGNING an agreement with Port Moresby General Hospital to access specialised clinical services.

Next : PNG Health Minister Tom Hopes 40 Doctors Are Re-Employed To Fix Shortage