Government should fund medical board: Official

THE Government should adequately fund the Papua New Guinea Medical Board (PMB) so it can carry out its functions, an official says.
National Health Board of PNG deputy chairman and former Medical Board chairman Dr Mathias Sapuri said the board, as a statutory body, was responsible for regulating all medical practitioners in the country.
“It is established, under law, to ensure health professionals and health facilities achieve safe health practices within the bylaws of the country at all times,” he said.
Dr Sapuri raised this concern after a notice dated June 23, 2020, from office of the PMB and PNG Nursing Council announced that the offices would be closed from that day due to a lack of toner and required resources to fulfil its tasks done until the Health Department’s accounts section processed the requests. Board chairman Prof Nakapi Tefuarani said the notice must have been circulated in the vicinity of the office (Aopi Centre) but had not reached him even though the office was open.
“The decision of the current medical board to close its office over non-remittances of funds for administration costs from the Health Department is irresponsible, lacks foresight and is a clear evidence of incompetence by those in charge of the board,” Dr Sapuri said.
“The core function of the board is to ensure best practices by professionals, credentialing of medical workers such as screening, and registering doctors trained in PNG and from overseas and other cadres of health workers to work in our public hospitals, church-owned health facilities, non-government organisations or in the private sector.