Health Minister Sasa Zibe has been called upon to look at new ways to improve the health delivery system.
While commending the leadership Minister Zibe is taking, the PNG Medical Board and Medical Society(PNGMB &MC) said the call must be given priority.
Chairman and president of the two organisations Prof Mathias Sapuri said the leadership of Mr Zibe “showed some light in the tunnel” and the doctors’ fraternity has acknowledged that.
Prof Sapuri said the health care delivery system inherited from the colonial administration was no longer applicable for the demand and need in PNG.
He said when there is a problem in the health care delivery system, we as health care workers find hard to cope with.
“As an example, last Friday morning, 10 mothers delivered their babies on the floor of the Port Moresby General Hospital’s labour ward,” he said.
He said even the accident and emergency unit (AEU) did not have the space and the patients sleeped all over the floor.
He said the old system allow for congestion and overflow of patients leaving limited time for tertiary health care, professional training and quality patient care and management.
He said Mr Zibe can set up a task force that can look at how best health care could be delivered in PNG, he said.
He said a consultative process must be in place to moot for a new home grown system based on resource availability.
Prof Sapuri said the health sector has sumitted a number of national health plans that do not fully achieve the outcomes due to a system that is no longer relevant.
“With the new Secretary for Health and the Minister, those of us who are in the system should work closely with the two leaders to improve the health care delivery in the country,” he said.
He said a lot of money has been provided for health including the recent K170 million for hospitals and health centre improvement.