Health Dept to conduct research on coronavirus

By HELEN TARAWA
THE Health Department has been tasked to design research protocols to track the coronavirus trends in the country, an official says.
Health and HIV/AIDS Minister Sir Puka Temu told The National that the department would be carrying out research while continuing to document the experience with Covid-19 on contact-tracing and testing strategy.
“PNG is known for world-class research, we have the Institute of Medical Research and the Medical Research Advisory Council,” he said.
“We will be looking at some areas where we can do research including, contact tracing effectively, other therapeutic agents to get the best clinical outcomes, testing strategy and normal surveillance.”
Sir Puka said the department would have to re-look at PNG’s testing strategy, whether to focus on general testing or to do contact tracing where increased cases were being reported. “My view has been when there are cases reported, we just go in there and do the contact tracing,” he said.
“That’s where the little number of testing kits we have we should focus on those areas rather than do general testing and we run out of the kits.”
Sir Puka said the most important thing was to ensure health workers had personal protective equipment.
“I want to build up a good stock so we don’t run out,” he said.