Board told to manage health authority properly

HEALTH and HIV/AIDS Minister Elias Kapavore has urged the board of the newly established Gulf health authority (PHA) to provide good leadership that will turn around the deteriorating health services in the province.
Kapavore launched the health authority in Kerema on Friday accompanied by Finance Minister Charles Abel, Gulf Governor Chris Haiveta, Health secretary Pascoe Kase, Finance secretary Dr Ken Ngangan and other senior officials from the Health Department.
Kapavore said indications from health sector performance in Gulf remained very poor and the new board headed by Oil Search Ltd country manager Gerea Aopi as the chairman had a huge task ahead to ensure right leadership was provided to drive and improve health sector performance in the province.
“The launch of Gulf PHA now brings the total number of PHAs in the country to 15 since the implementation of the PHA Act,” he said.
“It is very important that the board ensures fit and proper persons are recruited into the PHA to drive the health sector forward because everything concerning health will now come under one structure and one management and that is the PHA.”
Kase said the health authority reform was undertaken to modernise and streamline health sector management in the country to minimise duplication of roles and responsibilities and wastage of resources.
“In provinces where PHAs were already being established, the health sector performance indicators have improved significantly and PHA is the way to go in improving and delivering quality health services in the country,” he said.
The board headed, by Aopi, had their inaugural meeting on Friday after their swearing in and appointed Gulf health adviser Ben Bal as the acting chief executive officer for three months pending a permanent appointment.