Church-run hospitals scale down on operations over funding

CHURCH-run health facilities in West New Britain have scaled down their operations but their health programmes have been impacted for months due to the Government’s failure to release appropriated funds this year, according to an official.
Deini Tapi, health manager of the Anglican health services (NHS) which comes under the PNG Christian health services (CHS), told The National that for health workers to go without salaries for months was disastrous.
“We are affected very badly,” he said.
“It has cut staff morale.
“Quality healthcare services cannot be provided to the people in line with the Government’s Vision 2050 in such situation.”
Tapi said the scale-down would affect the people, especially in the rural areas where health facilities run by the Government were scarce.
“We are asking the National Government to answer to our demands as soon as possible because after the partial stop-work, we will go on to a full stop-work if nothing is done,” he said.
“We do not want to deprive the people’s right to healthcare but this is beyond our control.
“Our heart is with the people but we also feel for our health workers.”
Tapi said they had a meeting with the WNB health authority (PHA) yesterday and it would continue today.
He said almost half the health facilities in WNB were run by churches; under CHS the Anglican Church runs six, United church runs three, Lutheran runs one, Seventh-day Adventist runs three and the Catholic church runs a few more.