Health shock

The National Main Stories
Sir John Pundari

By REBECCA KUKU
FLAWS in the health system and the medicine supply chain are because of poor management in the Health Department, with some officers “living extravagant lifestyles far beyond their salary”, according to a report.
Public Accounts Committee chairman Sir John Pundari tabled in Parliament yesterday the report on the inquiry which began in August last year into the supply, procurement and distribution of medicines.
Sir John said the responsibility “rests primarily on the management” of the department “who are custodians of our medicine supply chain and our people’s health”.
“Our medical supply and distribution systems have been compromised because the (health department) allowed this to happen by either complacency, incompetence, design and or greed,” Sir John said.
He said “numerous reports (had been received of senior officers of the department directly involved in the procurement of medicines, affording to living extravagant lifestyles, far beyond that which is expected from a normal public servant salary”.
He said the inquiry was about establishing the truth.
“It was about understanding the reasons for the failing procurement, supply and distribution of medicines and medical kits throughout the country,” he said.
“The committee was deeply saddened that our very own politicians, bureaucrats and senior civil servants in positions of trust and authority have betrayed our own people in allowing greed and corruption to flourish in the procurement, supply and distribution of drugs and medical kits in our country that have resulted in avoidable deaths from curable diseases.
“If ever there was a sector which should be safeguarded by political leaders to ensure that services are provided in an effective and efficient manner, free from exploitation, it is public health.”
He related an “unforgettable and heart-wrenching” picture the committee came across of a rural aid post with a grave next to it.
“(Locals) told us that they carried (the sick man) for miles to the aid post,” he said.
“There was no hope to begin with. But he was their brother. Their father. Their husband. So they carried him anyway.
“Finally at the doors of the aid post, they were told that there was no health worker there anymore.
“Medicines have stopped arriving a few months back, so the aid post had been abandoned. (The sick man) looked at their tired and troubled faces and as he lay (dying) he asked them to bury him there so they would not have to carry his body back home.
“They buried him there alone, away from his land, his village and his family.”
He said the story depicted the truth about the failing health system. “It needed to come from patients and health workers who regularly see men, women and children dying in front of them while they are helpless to save their lives. They tell us the truth.”

27 comments

  • Those who have involved in mismanaging and stealing money, you are cursed by people who have died. Your curse will follow onto the your blood line.

    • The inquiry has revealed something! now it is up to the officials to lay formal complaints with the police fraud squad to move it further…

  • I have witnessed a certain Health Officer in Nawaeb Dist in Morobe Province who is using his position to give access of health assets such as vehicles to his tambus & family members to drive around while ordinary people struggle to bring in sick people to the health centre.

    Majority of the aid posts in the district have closed down & nobody cares.

    Provincial health authorities in Morobe are turning a blind eye. Who will rise up & take ownership?

    • If they have identified Health Department officials living extravagant lifestyles why wouldn’t they recommend these people to be investigated to where the funds came from. Did they sell the drugs that were supplied or did the suppliers pay them to get awarded the contracts or ????? Hold people accountable until we do corruption will continue to flourish.
      As Edmund Burke said “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

      • Common Sense…what you say is very true but unfortunately “common sense is not very common” We all know that the health system is failing us and we know where the rot is, but still not doing anything thing about it. Those responsible for the (miss)management must be held to account.

  • I’m no saint myself, but I wouldn’t trade a life for anything in the world. What the senior public servants in the Health Department have done for this country is a shame, and I hope they never get to find another job. Let there names be revealed so they will never be employed ever again.

  • Those accountable and those responsible plus those involved from one way to the other from the top down are all involving in a very serious crime and that to be understood as an ACT OF TERRORISM. Diverting the health system, more or less is an act of dismantling/malfunctioning/ high jacking the life insurance and spreading the risk over numerous peoples live is a mass grape concern. Please government when looking forward to change some of the laws for this country as stated on The National News Paper some days past consider this health issue as well and make a law to fully safe guard the importance of delivering the health system.

  • Making a fortune at the expenses of the needy and underprivileged is nothing but a curse that is invited to not only to destroy the present but to their second, third and fourth generation.

    I’d rather die poverty than to die owing the lives of innocent people!

  • The well-to-do and rich go to private clinic while our poor masses are deprived of their basic health care by those who call themselves ‘bosses” in Health dept.
    I wonder what kind of live they are living knowing well that people are dying everyday JUST BECAUSE of THEIR MISMANAGEMENT!!!
    It pains me reading above.
    There is so much IGNORANCE from authorities. There is systemic corruption in our public health system that needs immediate attention. This government needs to do a complete overhaul of the system and make someone pay for this crime to humanity.
    We cannot just let this go by without any action.Please!

    To the Bosses in Health Dept: You and your generation have blood on your hand. If life is worth living, you and your generation will not live one.Let pain and suffering accompany you all through out your life.

  • Their times will come to face the consequences. Very sad to hear that. MP must be honest this dying person make who you’re in the Parliament. Our good Lord will deal with that type pf people or leaders.

  • I fully concur with young Winston Belapuna. Officers in the District level must be closely monitored, not only at Boana but in every district Health Centers around the nation. Everyone, including the general public must take it upon themselves and make it their business to monitor and report unscrupulous behavior by civil servants. Even though we might consider those at the District level to be ‘small fish’ and way down the ‘ladder’ it just goes to show the widespread and endemic corruption that has eaten away into our public institutions and Government departments.
    These so-called public servants feel completely at liberty to do as they please because they know those higher up do not give a damn shit whether they deliver the much needed basic services to the little grassroots people.
    Winston, I have also heard about a certain Health division officer at Boana misusing the ambulance for personal errands and pleasure, even to the extreme of ferrying females around and having sex in the ambulance.
    If ordinary citizens do not speak up about these things, nobody in authority will do anything about it. May be it’s about time the citizens took it upon themselves to speak out against such things.

  • Are there not enough information, facts or evidences to legally address poor performers, Corruptions, etc.. have we adequately addressed previous enquiry into the drug scandal, we still have more work to do.

  • Back to Peter O’Neil, you’ve been pointing fingers and promoting the Health system during your term as Prime Minister and and look at this report. It speaks greatly of how corrupt the past Government was.

    We have Auditor General Office there with Fraud Office within the Department of Police including the Ombudsman Commission. But during his term as Prime Minister those Departments were not fully funded and as result it allows corruption to fluorish. Even it applies to every DDA funds dished out to all electorates throughout the country. Not even one Open members including Governors as well as LLG Managers and also District Administrators were brought before the Court of law for corruptions.

    This really shows that corruption is deep rooted in the fabric of of our Governance.

  • i am afraid.my family members could die from curable diseases tomorow.does rhe gov’t REALLY care about us,especially the majority in the rural areas?

  • Well done. on the face value of the report. The same is staring back at you for letting the people of Kompiam-Ambum down in your 25 years in making. Rest of PNG don’t know the electorate you represent and have no slightest clue how people are faring. People are demising devoid of medicinal supply or unable to replenish the stock in time. The report is relatable to Kompiam-Ambum.
    Failing in service delivery is attributable to travesty of your leadership having pernicious diabolical and deleterious effect on the people.

  • Get those culprits behind bars already. Why too much verbal complaints here. PNG less lo toktok planti, just actions!

  • If the Earthly justices slow to catch up on those corrupt people and they think that they can play games I am now bravely speaking their time will come and they will still feel the pain here on Earth and the Heavenly justice will deal with them according to their actions.

  • Department of Health and Education are the two very key priorities for any Government in the world. That is why people give their mandates to the candidates that contest National General Elections every five years. Candidates and Political Parties give campaign speeches on these two very policies every time during the National General Elections five years in five years out for 45 years of PNG’s Independence. Past and present mandated MPs and Prime Ministers and the Secretaries of Department of Health and Education have failed in their responsibilities and capabilities as the mandated servants of the people of this riches country failed to deliver effectively and efficiently the most and much needed basic GOODS & SERVICES adequately, honestly and trustworthy during their time which GOD THE ALMIGHTY has given these positions and powers and making good decisions and directions and guidance in saving the lives of our people both in the Urban and the Rural areas of this Country. ARE WE TRULY A CHRISTIAN COUNTRY? Every new Prime Minister that takes office, we say GOD has answered our prayers. This is the right man that will rescue the country in our mist, the hardships and the cries of our tears everyday we are facing. Every Government of the day who becomes a Public Office holder and all the Designated Public Servants and the part time Employees ( 5 years only)of the Office of the Prime Minister and the Members of Parliament are all suckers of the milking of the public funds ( 5% percentages claim along way the work they do) made available in the annual budget for this country under the PIP & DSIP Funds to be utilized and purposely meant for this country is always going to the DOGS OF THIS LAND disappear along the PIPELINE of the Governments delivery system of the goods and services. Before we declare to become a Christian Country and the Riches Black Nation on Earth, some of this corrupt people had to be identified and let the true traditional and customarily LAWS of justice of this country take its course by means of cutting some of their itchy fingers off for misusing the public funds and abusing the very established Finance Management ACT and the Public Servants Management Codes of Contact and abusing the System to their advantages for the money meant for the projects purposely for the people and for this country’s Progress and Developments is destroyed along the pipeline or along the way from the Government HQ Waigani and down to the Provinces and to the District Level Offices of this land of the unexpected .

  • I saw most nurses and doctors don’t want to work for private company and leave to the government agencies health centers because i believe they this mentality of doing foul play like do less job and get full pay and enjoy relax life on earth. Only few officers ok they honest with their job and rest are dame shits.

  • Ordinary health workers working at port moresby general hospital medical drug procurement and distribution owns houses worth k500 thousand to k600 thousand. Check it out. How did they amassed themselves with these luxuries with mere k45 to k50 thousand annual salary? People in the health sector management must be asking tough questions or have they not noticed.

  • So what is the role of enquiry into the health sector.They have to recommend and correct this problems.So easy yet made difficult by the system and public service machinery. As a country we never improved to help our own citizens the tax payers.

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