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By ELIZABETH MIAE
RADIOGRAHPERS throughout Papua New Guniea are concerned over the
non-availability of avenues they can use to address issues affecting
them in hospitals they work in.
They raised this during their specialty meeting last Friday at the
Medical Symposium and added that they lacked representation in the
National Health Department.
Several other issues raised included:
*Shortage of staff, particularly radiologists
to diagnose patients;
*Regular visits by radiologists to small
provincial hospitals;
*More refresher courses and training for
radiographers;
*Permanent senior radiographers to be based in
all hospitals for supervision;
*Radiation safety officers to visit hospitals;
and
*Regular maintenance of x-ray machines and the
buildings.
These issues have not been dealt with for a long time by the department
as expressed by the radiographers.
Consultant radiologist Dr Dora Lenturut told The National that they were
not addressed because there was no avenue available in the department
for radiographers to seek assistance.
She said medical imaging in the country could become better than what
PNG had now.
A resolution was reached at the meeting to form an institution that
would look into solving these problems.
Radiographers from Kerema, Kimbe, Daru and Alotau present at the meeting
outlined the problems they faced at their hospitals.
Alotau Hospital continues to see an increase in the number of patients
coming in from the outer islands, though there are x-ray machines
available at the health centres there, there are no radiographers to
operate them and the Oro and Central provinces.
The administration of Alotau Hospital had to make a tough decision to
charge patients a fee of K5 per x-ray in order to buy more x-ray
materials.
While in Daru Hospital, the x-ray room has deteriorated forcing
radiographers to work in conditions that posed a high risk to their own
health.
At this point, Dr Lenturut urged radiographers to discontinue working in
such situations and bring to the attention of the hospital’s
administration these issues so that something could be done.
 
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