Authority threatens to pull services after assault

By PETER WARI
THE Southern Highlands health authority (PHA) has threatened to withdraw services in the province after an assault on a health worker at Mendi Hospital.
Chief executive officer Dr Joseph Birisi said the assault of community health worker Bernard Tandoa at Mendi Hospital’s surgical ward two weeks ago by relatives of patient Amos Tombos had affected the safety of health workers.
Tandoa, from Waa village, Imbonggu, was allegedly verbally abused and attacked by some men believed to be relatives of a patient from Karinz local level government (LLG) in Mendi-Munihu after he had an epileptic seizure as a reaction to medication.
Tombos is recovering.
The PHA organised a peace and reconciliation ceremony at the hospital on Friday and relatives of Tandoa, Tombos, LLG leaders and health workers attended.
Birisi said the incident was an isolated case and was due to a misunderstanding.
He said the PHA investigated incident and found that Tandoa had given the right medication.
Birisi said the matter had been referred to police.
The patient’s brother Patrick apologised for the attack on Tandoa and said the two men involved in the incident would face the law.
He said his relatives had reacted the way they did because another patient had earlier died after taking the same medication and when Amos started to have a fit after taking the medication, they had thought the worst.
The victim’s brother George and relative John Nandape said they wanted to resolve the matter peacefully.