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| Patients forced out | |
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By ZACHERY PER THE Kundiawa General Hospital has begun discharging patients due to lack of medical supplies. Hospital board chairman Gerald Phillips yesterday said all elective surgeries have been suspended. All concentration would now be placed on emergency operations. Mr Phillips said life-saving operations at the hospital is dependent on 21 oxygen gas cylinders brought in last week. “These would be used for emergency operations, while other operations would be scaled down,” he said. He said a 350l drum of diesel brought in before the landslide would carefully be used with extra precautions. “We are cutting down on staff transport. “Patients referred to the Goroka Base Hospital would make their own transport arrangements,” he said. A Medivac team from the hospital headed by staffer George Mandai and Bulu Waim worked around the clock at the landslide site to bring in the 21 oxygen cylinders last week. According to a media report by the acting director medical services at the hospital, Dr Francis Wandi, the only two oxygen cylinders were available for emergency cases. The 21 cylinders beefed up the two but would only last at least two weeks given the high rate of oxygen requirement for major operations at the hospital. Mr Mandai said they spent K310 to pay locals who assisted in carrying the oxygen cylinders across the landslide section. The locals charged K15 for larger cylinders and K10 for smaller ones. The BOC Gas depot in Mt Hagen that supplies the oxygen cylinders to major hospitals in the highlands region has reportedly run out of stock. The situation is life-threatening. |
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