Hospital appoints new board

 THE Hela Provincial Hospital has appointed a new board of directors to relieve the Médecins sans Frontières or Doctors without Borders.

Board chairman and Oil Search managing director Peter Botten said the challenge to replace MSF was a big one. 

During the swearing in of the board members, Botten said one of the priorities was to ensure that the hospital serves people’s  needs.

“It’s a real challenge for the new board to not just take over and build from what MSF and the existing  staff have made, but to make it much more efficient – a much better hospital to serve the needs and hopes of the Hela people,” he said.

“We have to employ doctors and to ensure there is accommodation.

“We will need a lot of help from the Department of Health, Department of Personnel Management, Hela government and from the private sector based in Tari and Hela.”

The board appointed Dr Hewali Hamiya as the acting chief executive officer.

The board members are Peter Botten (chairman), Rev Olene Yawai (deputy chairman and church rep), Dr Goa Tau (health department rep), George Tagobe and Rodney Ingersoll (business sector reps), Doris Elape Anton (hospital staff rep), Janet Koriama (local women’s rep), with Yawas Komiabu and Amos Max Libeas community reps. 

MSF’s head of mission in PNG Angelika Herb said its activities started in September 2008.

She said the handover to the provincial health authority would be done in stages up to March 31, 2016.