Authorities go mum on PMC

THE Ministry and Department of Health have been taken to task to tell the public why the government is funding a proposed private facility – the Pacific Medical Centre (PMC) – at a cost of K510 million.
This was raised during the presentation of a paper called New Super Hospital might jeopardise PNG Hospital sector by Prof Glen Mola at the National Research Institute on Tuesday.
Members of the public including representatives from the public and private sectors, donor agencies, non-governmental organisations and development partners commented on the presentation by Mola either for or against the PMC.
Acting health secretary Dr Paison Dakulala, who was present during the presentation, said the decision to include and fund the PMC in the National Health Plan was already endorsed by the National Executive Council and there was nothing they could do about it.
He said they had asked the technical advisory committee for the PMC to provide evidence of how it would be sustained and the services it provided would be effective in  serving the needs of the people.
Dakulala said the department was focusing on improving health care according to the goals set out in the plan.
Mola had called on the government to support the current health system and make it functional again, especially in the rural areas instead of investing in the PMC which he claimed was not a health project.
“People are using the hospital (Port Moresby General Hospital) like the aid posts for primary health care because the aid posts have all closed down.
“I have been a health worker for 41years – 38 years in public health and three years in the private sector and I see that ordinary people need a decent health care service,” he had said.