Angau Hospital project awaits Government funding

By MALUM NALU
The Angau Hospital redevelopment project in Lae is awaiting the Government’s component funding of K402.8 million, according to the Department of Health 2015 Annual Management Report, released in Parliament by Health Minister Michael Malabag.
Angau is one of the major projects agreed to by prime ministers Kevin Rudd of Australia and Peter O’Neill of Papua New Guinea in the asylum seekers deal of July 19, 2014.
All that is in limbo now that the Manus asylum centre will be closed. “The preferred financing option for this project will be via a loan facility outside the health sector budget as a stand-alone project,” the report said.
“A total of K402.8 million was allocated for this project, via the PNG Government and (Australian) Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade support. However, the Department of Health is awaiting confirmation of the release of the GoPNG component of the funding.
“A health services plan, a facilities master plan, painting of the Gware Wing building, children’s outpatient building and construction of temporary wards under emergency works were completed in 2015.
“Stage two temporary works were reduced in line with available funding, the tender for design and documentation for redevelopment of Angau Hospital will be released in 2016.”
Angau board chairman David Wissink said Australian funding through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) would continue.
“I’ve been assured by representatives of the Australian DFAT that their level of commitment towards a new Angau remains, however, the PNG Government, although equally committed, has still provided no indication of when matching funds might be available,” he said.
“We are in the process of reevaluating our master plan to take full advantage of what funds are on offer from Australia plus the support we have received to date from the PNG Government.
“Health Secretary Pascoe Kase should have had the same conversation with DFAT.”
Wissink said PNG counterpart funding of A$200 million (about K499 million) was required towards funding of the master plan.
“We all know that the Government is in a tight spot for development funds.
“We received K15 million from NDOH and that will go a long way in smaller projects.
We are grateful but we won’t go very far towards a major reconstruction effort.
“We’re in the process of reevaluating our master plan to take advantage of what we have.”