Bird calls for ministers to look at saving lives

IMPORTANT legislations that could save lives should be the priority of every cabinet minister to work on and present to Parliament for approval, a provincial governor told Parliament yesterday.
East Sepik Governor Allan Bird, while debating on the radiation safety and control Bill and the National Institute of Standards and Industrial Technology (Amendment) Bill, said many lives had been lost over the past five-six when trying to get the enabling legislations brought before Parliament for the establishment of a radiation policy.
The policy would allow the use of nuclear and radiation facilities in the country to save lives, he said.
“Our job is not to write cheques but pass laws and that is why people put us in Parliament,” he said.
“We are losing our citizens when we can pass the Bill in only 10 minutes then save many lives.”
Shadow attorney-general Kerenga Kua commended Health Minister Sir Puka Temu for fast tracking an important legislations that would now enable the establishment of cancer units at Angau and Port Moresby.
Civil Aviation Minister Alfred Manase said it was important that the legislations catered for the safety and security of the people who would be handling the nuclear facilities and that included training, storage and movement of the nuclear radiation facilities.
National Planning Minister Richard Maru said in the 2018 budget, they had allocated K10 million to set up the Port Moresby cancer facility and K11 million to repair and upgrade Angau.
He said the money was there but the issue now was training people to facilitate treatment.
He appealed to the Health Department to provide leadership in getting necessary preparation started after such a long wait.