Firm explains confusion over isolation centre

THERE are two separate Covid-19 isolation centres at NKW Group’s 11-Mile property in Lae, chief executive officer Marlen Brunskill says.
Following reports that NKW was using the government-funded isolation centre at 11-Mile to isolate its staff, Brunskill said the centre was for use upon the advice and authorisation by the Morobe Provincial Health Authority (PHA) while the other one is for NKW staff.
“There are confusions regarding the two facilities,” he said.
“We have a private facility next to the Morobe PHA facility.
“They thought we were using their facility to isolate our staff but their’s is fenced and is separate from the rest. We took a request from the Health Department and built the facility to take pressure off the Angau hospital and is now ready and available.
“We currently have 23 policemen and seven others at the Morobe PHA facility, authorised by the authority.”
Brunskill said when someone tested positive, the authority then authorised the person to be isolated at the Morobe PHA facility .
He said the Morobe PHA facility was paid for by taxpayers and it was for the public.
But there were processes involved in admitting people and one had to go through the Morobe PHA who would send in a request for persons of interest to be isolated there.
The Morobe PHA facility has 40 rooms and cost K9 million.
The NKW facility has 80 rooms.
PHA chief executive officer Dr Kipas Binga said he had no information on the number of people quarantined at the 11-Mile facility.
“From our side, we haven’t sent anyone up there yet but we’ll have a dialogue with NKW and send people there,” he said.
Dr Binga said they still owed NKW K2 million for the work done.