Doctor wants govt to be self-reliant

THE Government needs to become self-reliant in buying medicines by 2020 and not depend on aid from international partners, says public health executive manager Dr Sibauk Bieb.
During a media briefing on the polio outbreak response in Papua New Guinea, Dr Bieb said the vaccines were “very critical medicine that it is the priority for the Health Department”.
Dr Bieb said by 2020, Papua New Guinea should not seek help from outside partners such as the United Nations International Children’s Fund (Unicef) and World Health Organisation (WHO) for the purchase vaccines.
“The Government and prime minister have being advised that the Government needs to take on a gap by 2020 and onwards to fund vaccines,” he said. He said the vaccines should reach all the children though the provinces.
“Vaccines are very important to protect children and is one of the priorities of the department,” Dr Bieb said.
He said certain medicines cost a lot but sickness like malaria, tuberculosis and cancer could not be ignored.
He said it was important to have regular budgets so immunisation could be carried out.
He said the national and provincial governments should put in the effort together to be able to undertake routine immunisation for children in rural and urban areas.