Concerns over lack of direction

NURSES in Morobe’s nine districts are concerned over a lack of communication and direction from the provincial health authority on what to do for Covid-19 awareness and management.
Nurses Association Morobe branch president Siling Awasa said there was no Covid-19 central operations centre to provide directives and guidelines to health workers, police, military, media and stakeholders to educate the public on the coronavirus.
Awasa said that as frontline healthcare professionals, they were ill-prepared with personal protective equipment (PPEs) including face masks, gowns, caps, gloves, scrubs as well as infection control items, sinks, disinfectant, hand sanitisers, mops and buckets.
“There is no proper incinerator and a medical waste disposal system, a lack of health awareness materials with standardised messages in local content and ambulatory services for Covid-19 suspect referrals,” she said.
Among other things mentioned were no proper transportation arrangements and security for nurses and doctors to and from work during the lockdown.
Awasa supported fellow unions, including the National Doctors Association, on their call for Government to revoke the appointment of Grant Muddle as the chief executive officer of Morobe health authority.