6-Mile clinic poses threat

By VERONICA FRANCIS
A staff shortage and sanitation is getting worse at the 6-Mile clinic in Port Moresby, the acting sister-in-charge Philemina Geno says.
Geno said they were under staffed and the toilets posed a health risk for patients and staff.
She said the problems had been ongoing for several months and was getting worse every day with the influx of patients.
Gena said the factors were raising the stress levels among staff.
“We see more than 200 patients daily and with the staff shortage we have, this is placing a lot of stress on us,” she said.
She called on health authorities, especially the health department, to look into the matter because 6-Mile clinic, unlike other clinics in Port Moresby, is under the care of the state.
Geno said it was an integrated clinic that dealt with diseases like TB and HIV/AIDS.
She said the TB clinic was short-staffed and the number of TB patients was increasing every week.
“We are supposed to be promoting healthy living and maintaining the health of the community but with the unhygienic situation we have, this is contradicting everything we stand for,” she said.
Patients as far as Kwikila and Kupiano areas in Central have been going to the clinic for treatment. 
Geno said they had told authorities of their plight but nothing had been done.
She said the situation had been going from bad to worse.
She urged the relevant authorities to intervene quickly for the good health of the people.
“If this continues I do not know what will happen, something has to be done,” she said.