Health Dept launches hotline

By JEFFREY ELAPA
THE Health Ministry has launched a hotline which people can use to register health-related complaints in the country.
The Telikom numbers are 343 3006, 343 3007 and Digicel number is 7377 4707.
They are monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Health Minister Jamie Maxtone-Graham said the hotline was to allow the public to send text messages regarding health issues such as drug shortage, deteriorating health facilities, health workers’ absenteeism, misuse and abuse of facilities.
He said the mobile SMS hotline service was to help clean up the department and deliver  quality health services to the people.
“I want a paradigm shift
in the culture of work within the Department of Health,’’ he said.
“I want the people to be my ears and my eyes so they report what they experience and observe in their respective areas by sending text messages of their complaints.”
Maxtone-Graham said health workers would be under scrutiny so that they did not misbehave.
“We need the people to
tell us what is happening
because I or my secretary
do not know what is happening out there even though
we receive reports from
the bosses, which sometimes maybe biased,” he said.
The minister thanked Telikom PNG for donating the two sets of handset phones which were presented by the acting head of the Corporate and Data Services Division to set up the hotline.
He also thanked Digicel for the other wireless handset for the hotline.