Health needs support

The free primary health care and subsidised specialist services  are “overloaded” and more needs to be done to support this Government policy approved in 2013, Health Minister Michael Malabag says.
He said that in Parliament when presenting last year’s health sector annual management report.
The report reveals that free primary health care and subsidised specialist services funding of K20 million intended to subsidise the cost of user-pay fees previously charged by hospitals and health facilities was not released last year.
The department conducted meetings with central agencies to address the challenge and ensure that in future, provincial health authorities and health facilities received funding in a timely manner.
“The policy on free primary health care and subsidised specialist services were approved in 2013,” Malabag said.
“As a result of this policy, we have seen more people visiting outpatient facilities across Papua New Guinea.
“However, the health system has overloaded and we need to do more to support this policy shift.
“For the record, if the health sector was given appropriated budget in a timely manner, then the additional K20 million earmarked for this policy would not be required.”
Malabag asked Treasurer Patrick Pruaitch and Finance Minister James Marape to “release 40 per cent of the health sector budget in the first quarter of 2016, 30 per cent in the second quarter, 20 per cent in the third quarter and 10 per cent in the last quarter in a timely manner”.
“If that happens, I gurantee you that the health sector will not need additional funding under the policy and user-fees at health facilities will be a thing of the past if funding is on timely basis.”