It is good to read that the Minister for Health is taking a tough stand on corruption in the health system.
He has ordered investigations into medical supplies and the National AIDS Council.
The Minister should extend the investigations to cover all provincial hospital boards and managements and some branches in the National Department of Health.
I am a staff of one of the major hospitals and I have seen mismanagement of funds and administration malpractices in hospitals and National Department of Health branches. Funds have been used for purposes other than what they are meant for. Facilities are deteriorating because maintenance funds are misused.
I want the minister to investigate all provincial hospitals, the Curative Health Services branch, the Finance and Administration branch, the Human Resources branch and the Health Facilities branch of National Department of Health.
The Health Facilities branch in particular has failed to come up with an effective plan to maintain the deteriorating health infrastructure in the country. There are also no master plans for hospitals. This should have been done years ago.
I also want the good minister to order an investigation into the SARS ward at Port Moresby General Hospital built some years back and still incomplete.
I think this building was undertaken by the Health Facilities branch of National Department of Health.

Hausik Wokman