Port Moresby Hospital to offer one-stop cancer treatment

PORT Moresby General Hospital (Pomgen) is working towards providing a holistic approach to cancer treatment, says chief executive Dr Paki Molumi.
He said this during the closing of Pinktober week recently at Pomgen.
Molumi said the hospital will create a one stop shot where people will get good preventive and early diagnostic programmes and support services.
“For the last 45 years, we’ve been providing fragmented cancer services,” he said.
Molumi said to provide a holistic approach to cancer, it needed a comprehensive awareness and preventive programme that must be implemented by the cancer facility.
“Over the years, we have had different parts of treatment in different provinces in the country,” he said.

“Radiotherapy services in Lae, Morobe, diagnostic and emergence services in Port Moresby and other private clinics.”
He said patients had to travel from one place for one treatment then travel to another place for follow-ups, which was costly.
“The majority of our people live in rural areas and are not able to follow this,” he said.
“Pomgen is trying to fill this gap, where you have diagnostic services, molecule lab, CT scans and mammograms and others once at one part of the country.
“We take on the challenges the Government has given us through the national health plan, 2021 to 2030 that Pomgen will be the national specialist teaching and referring hospitals which means all specialist services must be provided here.
“Cancer patients would not be allowed to travel to Singapore, Philippines or Australia to seek treatment.
“We are supposed to provide these services here and that is Pomgen’s objective.”
Molumi said the cancer facility at Pomgen had been divided into three phases.
“Phase one had been completed in December, phase two was under construction and phase three had yet to be completed,” he said.
Molumi said the hospital hoped for the Government’s assistance of K73 million that would equip the cancer facility.
“K38 million will be used for equipment and K25 million will be used for human resource,” he said.
“The infrastructure is in place, equipment installed and now to train appropriate human resource to ensure that this facility works.”
He said not only Papua New Guineans would be treated, but people from all Pacific Island countries as well would be treated as this would be the first cancer facility in the Pacific.

The National / PNG Health Watch 

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