Hospital faces closure

 A RURAL hospital in the Highlands is likely to close because of the non-payment of staff wages for two consecutive fortnights, a staff says. 

Deputy director nursing services Peter Kelly said the Mingende Rural Hospital, in Chimbu, had not paid its workers for two paydays, affecting operations at the Catholic-run health facility. 

Kelly, on behalf of the 84 staff members and casual workers,  called on the Church Medical Council and the Finance Department to explain the situation before the hospital operations stopped.

No comment could be obtained from the council yesterday.

He said special programmes such as the Anti-Retroviral Therapy, prevention of parent to child transmission programme, which Mingende was known for, would be affected.

He said the situation could affect medical students from the University of Papua New Guinea’s Taurama Campus, midwifery students from UPNG, Lutheran School of Nursing and health extension office students from the Divine Word University who were doing practical at Mingende Hospital. 

“The students are supposed to go for rural block but can’t make it and that is our biggest concern,” Kelly said. 

“We have not received the operational grants and that has greatly affected our operations.

“People from outside catchment areas are refused services and referrals to Kundiawa General Hospital,” he said.