Hospital boards given full powers, says Kali

National

DEPARTMENT of Personnel Management Secretary John Kali says boards of public hospitals in the country are given full powers under the Public Hospitals Act and the Regulatory Statutory Authorities Act to make appointments.
Kali said the buck can no longer be passed onto the department for delays in appointing chief executive officers and staff of public hospitals as the powers to recruit and make appointments have been given back to the hospital boards.
Kali was responding to comments from John Bro, the deputy chairman of Sir Joseph Nombri Memorial Kundiawa General Hospital in Chimbu regarding the appointment of a new chief executive officer after Mathew Kaluvia resigned to contest the Kandrian-Gloucester seat in West New Britain.
Bro said the hospital board had already advertised the position and shortlisted candidates but awaiting advice from DPM to conclude the recruitment.
But Kali said “under the Public Hospitals Act and Regulatory Statutory Authorities Act, public hospitals are now responsible for appointing chief executive officers”.
“Only where it involves the appointment of a non-citizen, someone from outside of PNG, then the secretary for the department is required to be consulted because of the Employment of Non-Citizens Act,” Kali said.
“So if a non-citizen is recruited, then the secretary comes in to give the contract of employment.”