Clinic not short of drugs

 By ELIAS LARI
THE Catholic health services in Western Highlands will continue operating its Rebiamul clinic, an official says.
Catholic Health secretary Father Peter Ripa told The National on Friday that operation at the Rebiamul urban clinic was normal. He said rumuors that it faced a shortage of drugs were false.
“Our operation is normal. We do not have any intention to shut down the clinic which is the biggest in the city and the province.
“Rebiamul is the major clinic that serves people from the four electorates in the province and has no intention to close its operation,” Ripa said.
Ripa said the only problem they faced was the influx of patients because the Mt Hagen provincial hospital could not accommodate them.
“Staff start at 8am and finish very late at 5pm or 6pm. This is the problem we are facing because of the increase in the number of patient,” he said.
Ripa said they would have recruited more staff if the Government had not cut the K50 million meant for the Christian Health Services.
Officer in charge of Rebiamul clinic Sister Valsi Kurian said the drug supplies were in full stock.
Kurian said they only closed during public holidays and weekends.
“We are not facing any shortage of drugs or not intending to close. The operation here is normal,” she said.