Care centre ready to admit more

By LULU MARK
MORE patients are expected to be admitted at the Nightingale Taurama Aquatic Centre Coronavirus (Covid-19) care centre as cases continue to rise in the National Capital District, an official says.
St John Ambulance chief executive officer Matt Cannon said 16 patients were admitted yesterday – six mild, nine moderate, and one severe. The severe case was transferred to the Port Moresby General Hospital (PMGH).
He said the Taurama centre which was opened last Friday would handle mild-moderate patients in partnership with the PMGH.
He stressed that St John services were free.
“Ambulance help is free in an emergency,” he said.
“Ambulance is free to a public hospital if you have Covid-19 too.”
St John Ambulance services are free in emergency situations if one is unconscious or severely injured, if she is a maternal or obstetric patient, a newborn baby, a child less than five years old and medically unwell, a victim of violence, or a snakebite victim.

The ambulance service only charges fees when:

• ONE needs help getting to hospital but it is not an emergency;
• ONE wants to go to a private hospital;
• ONE is referred between public health facilities (the health service pays);
• ONE is not a citizen or resident; and,
• MORTUARY service (organiser pays).

The ambulance service had supported the National Capital District Health Authority in a vaccination drive last week where 288 people were vaccinated in three days.
Cannon said some of his staff were in Goroka as volunteers with the national emergency team.
“St John-registered nurses have been seconded to support the deployment. Three nurses are in Daru in Western, four in Eastern Highlands and three left for Hagen yesterday.”

Hospital manager tells people to get jab

By LULU MARK and ZACHERY PER
A HOSPITAL administrator in Eastern Highlands is requesting people to come forward to be vaccinated.
Kainantu Rural Hospital acting chief medical administrator Dr Enename Susuke said no one was forcing them to, but for the sake of their health and everyone else’s, they must get the vaccine.
“Vaccination is a must for the people,” he said.
“They must come voluntarily to get the vaccination.
“It’s free of charge.”
He said vaccination was available at the hospital.
“AstraZeneca vaccine is available now. The Johnson and Johnson will probably start next week. The vaccination outlet is open every day except the weekend.”
The Eastern Highlands Provincial Health Authority is yet to confirm the number of deaths in the province which is estimated to be more than 50.
A community health worker from Lufa district was at the North Goroka Clinic appealing to authorities to conduct immediately a mass Covid-19 vaccination in Kuruka, Central Lufa.
He said people especially the old ones were dying.
“We need mass vaccination for the entire Lufa district. There are many cases in Lufa but we cannot manage because there is no resource and manpower,” he said.
Goroka District Health Officer Michael Muri confirmed that apart from deaths, tests conducted confirmed the 80 to 100 per cent cases were being registered at the North Goroka Clinic while other health centers recorded 50 to 60 percent.
A funeral home in Goroka is full and has stopped accepting bodies.
Meanwhile, people are also ignoring the curfew rules imposed.
Provincial Police Commander Supt Michael Welly said people breaching the curfew regulations would be arrested and dealt with accordingly.

Lack of manpower cripples services as province struggles to contain surge in cases

By ZACHERY PER
PEOPLE complaining of breathing problems were turned away from clinics in Goroka town yesterday because of a lack of health workers as Eastern Highlands struggles to contain the surge in Coronavirus (Covid-19) cases.
To make matters worse, executive managers of the Eastern Highlands Provincial Health Authority were sick and not available to comment on the matter.
The province is one of four recently declared “high-risk” by National Pandemic Response Controller David Manning because of the hike in Covid-19 cases there. The others are Western, West Sepik and Western Highlands.
Health authority chief executive officer Dr Joseph Apa told The National that he was ill and referred all work-related matters to the deputy director of the curative health services Tonny Basse.
“I seem to be (only) one around here,” Basse said.
Director public health Dr Max Manape was also reported to be sick.
It could not be confirmed the nature of Dr Apa’s and Dr Manape’s illnesses.
In addition, programme directors Michael Singip (corporate services), Dr Kapiro Kendaura (curative services) and deputy director public services Opa Kairu were not available to comment.
The patients with respiratory complications suspected to be caused by the Covid-19 coronavirus were turned away from clinics in Goroka town and the Goroka Provincial Hospital because there were no health workers to attend to them.
It is understood that most of the health workers were sick and could not come to work.
Patients in Goroka town who went to the North Goroka Urban Clinic yesterday were told that due to a lack of manpower, they could not be treated. They were sent home and told to return (today).
Patients at the Lopi Urban Clinic also could not access medical services because some staff members were sick.
The clinic was broken into by thugs who destroyed the main water pipe forcing its closure in August.
Goroka district health officer Michael Muri confirmed that Goroka MP Aiye Tambua had allocated K100,000 to the clinic to fix its water supply.
He said contractors had completed connecting the water supply and the clinic should be opened this week.
A parent who went to a health facility in Aiyura in Obura-Wonenara district where the Covid-19 vaccination was being administered was advised to take the long ride to Goroka instead because the vaccine had run out.

Police chief concerned about hike in cases

By JIMMY KALEBE
PEOPLE must get the Coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccine now to save lives, says Morobe police commander Supt Jacob Singura.
“We have seen, read and heared from people and the media that the latest wave of the Covid-19 is taking many lives in the country. So don’t wait until one of your very own succumbs to death because of the virus. Get vaccinated,” he said.
He also warned people in Morobe to follow public health safety measures to reduce community transmission.
Supt Singura said people must understand that with the third wave experienced around the country now, the best defence was to get vaccinated.
He said police officers in Lae were also conducting awareness on the Covid-19 on top of their official assignments.
Supt Singura also stressed the importance of wearing masks, social distancing and hand sanitising to avoid contracting the virus.
Health authorities in Lae are moving Covid-19 patients from the Sir Ignatius Kilagi stadium indoor complex to the Angau Memorial Hospital
Morobe Health Authority chief executive officer Dr Kipas Binga said the new tuberculosis ward at the hospital would be used by Covid-19 patients.
Dr Binga said the stadium set-up posed many challenges when managing patients in terms of movement and food.

Jiwaka hospital records 2 deaths, 14 new cases including 4 health staff

By ELIAS LARI
THE Kudjip Nazarene Hospital in Jiwaka has recorded two deaths from the Coronavirus (Covid-19), with 14 positive patients including four health staff now in isolation.
Hospital chief executive officer Greg Maurer said the provincial hospital was not accepting patients from neighbouring provinces as it tried to deal with its own people.
He said this was necessary due the increase in Covid-19 cases and reduced manpower as some hospital staff members had also been affected. “We are also looking at consolidating two of our wards to stretch the use of existing staff,” he said.
“In addition, we are more stringent about social distancing in our outpatient department with new markings and signage.”
He is currently working out the total number of people admitted and discharged since Sept 16.
The hospital secured 100 vaccine doses from the Provincial Health Authority yesterday to boost the number to 200.
Maurer said they had vaccinated 135 people since Friday and more were expected to turn up.
He said social distancing in the outpatients department with distancing markings must be followed.
“With the increasing number of positive cases, the Kudjip hospital is strict on maintaining the Covid-19 protocols.”
Jiwaka Provincial Health Authority staff confirmed that some people had died, and some tested positive.
They are rolling out the awareness on vaccination so that many more people can come forward to get the jab.