Health services to be affected

Health services in five communities in the Morobe local level government of Huon Gulf will be affected after health workers left the area.
The staff of Zaka health centre left following threats by locals regarding unpaid claims for services provided.
The four health workers, who serve Zia, Yekora, Mougomi, Mawae and Binadere communities, were forced to leave because the centre’s former officer-in-charge and board members had not repaid claims totalling more than K6,300.
Huon Gulf health manager Pendek Sitong confirmed the incident after Dona ward councillor Joe Garney and village magistrate Robert Sanang, told The National their concerns for health services in the LLG after the centre’s four health workers left.
Sitong said Zaka normally paid its dues on time but had recently let its debts accumulate.
“I was told last weekend but at the moment we are unable to access funds to settle the debts,” she said.
“However, for health workers, two locals Willie Gowan and Danita Peter were advised to remain and attend to emergency cases; other workers have packed up and left.”
Sitong said the district also faced a shortage of manpower and she had requested for 10 health workers. She said three workers had arrived and been assigned to Hote, Yamap and the Salamaua hinterland while the other seven, who would be posted to Morobe, Eya and Popoe had yet to arrive.
Garney said the departure of health workers would severely impact the people because the Zaka health centre, was the only facility that served the people living along the Morobe-Northern border.
Garney said LLG president Andrew Tera and local councillors had tried to mediate the matter between the centre and local service providers.
Garney appealed to Lutheran health services management to call former officer-in-charge Paula Kure and board members for allegedly misusing grants and revenue collected through patient fees resulted in accumulated debts.