‘POMGH needs funds urgently’

THE Papua New Guinea Nurses Association (PNGNA) has backed the call from the Port Moresby General Hospital chief executive officer Sam Vegogo, on Tuesday to give more support and assistance to the hospital’s middle management units.
PNGNA president Eimi Kaptigau said yesterday nurses, together with community health workers and allied health workers, were at the forefront in health service delivery and a shift in focus which had been lacking for years was welcomed.
Mrs Kaptigau added that given the current problems being faced by the hospital, and with a new administrator, the POMGH board must now be more proactive in pushing  the Government to make appropriate budget provisions for the effective running of the hospital.
 “The hospital services are grinding to a halt due to insufficient funding being a major problem year after year, and despite this, the hospital board and the Government seem to have been silent, which deprives the flow of decent health services,” Mrs Kaptigau said.
Firstly, POMGH must get its full annual budget allocation of K50 million so that serious problems of staff shortage and poor working environments and resources are addressed.
Mrs Kaptigau said the new CEO would be familiarised with the current administrative and management issues of the hospital in time and all health workers at middle management level would support his determination to turn the hospitals dire situation around for the better.
While commenting on the need for community support, which had been a contributing factor to POMGH’s current dilemma, she said: “POMGH continues to be swamped with people coming in with preventable diseases which puts unnecessary burden on the level of service being provided.
“If Port Moresby residents are mindful of personal hygiene for their families and children ,maybe there would be a reduction in patients who turn up at the hospital with minor illnesses,” she said.
She said all clinics in the city had to be supported by relevant authorities so they could deal with some of these cases.
Mrs Kaptigau commended City Hall, NGOs and the churches  for their support in these area.