Concerns over delay in reopening Modilon ICU

By DOROTHY MARK
THE delay in having Madang’s Modilon Hospital intensive care unit (ICU) resume its services after being closed for 10 years is a major concern for the Madang public.
The hospital is a level-five one and one of the requirements for the status is a fully functional ICU. Hospital director medical services Dr Vincent Atua said the ICU needed lifesaving equipment to have the ICU reopened.
The issue of the ICU was raised at a Madang people’s development forum in town last weekend.
Chairman of the forum Morris Ban said there was not enough ICU equipment.
Ban said 10 years was too long for a level-five hospital like Modilon to go without an ICU.
“Madang people need that unit to operate soon,” Ban said.
“Ten years is too long.”
In a 2015 report presented by the then provincial health policy and planning director Paul Mabong, out of every 10 ICU patient admitted at the hospital, seven died. Modilon training officer Sr Dianne Liriope said there was a catalogue submitted for equipment and they were yet to go though it to see the sort of equipment in it.
Liriope said there are no ICU specialists as well.
“We need more trained ICU nurses to work in the unit,” she said.