Health care cost to increase

BANK of PNG official figures show that health care costs have increased by 75 per cent since 2012, says Shadow Treasurer and Finance Minister Ian Ling-Stuckey.
He provided the bank figures to criticise the Government’s free health care policy.
Using the Quarterly Economic Bulletin Statistics he said costs in the “Health” group column from June 2012 to March 2018 show the index of health care costs has increased from 100 to 174.7.
He said health care costs in PNG have sky-rocketed.
“What you used to be able to buy for K10 in health services back in 2012 will now cost you K17.50 in 2018.”
Ling-Stuckey said that in his budget response – on the Opposition website – he talked about the health crisis facing this country.
“Polio is back, malaria and TB are on the increase, medicines are not available, the standard of health services continues to decline in rural areas,” Ling-Stuckey said said.
“Our doctors are telling us this is the case, but the PNC politicians are in denial.”
“I will continue to call for more honesty in Government.”