Hospital outlines goal for ’25

**Children joining a cultural group performing during the Independence celebrations in Kavieng, New Ireland, recently.**

PORT Moresby General Hospital is working towards achieving health independence in four years’ time to coincide with PNG’s Golden Jubilee (50 years) Independence Anniversary.
Hospital chief executive officer Dr Paki Molumi announced this during the Independence celebrations last week.
He said while the country reflected on 46 years of political independence, Port Moresby General Hospital should also reflect on how far it has progressed during this time as healthcare providers.
Dr Molumi reflected on his 10-years working as an ear-neck-throat surgeon prior to his appointment as the hospital’s chief executive officer and said a bulk of his tasks included writing referrals for patients to seek further treatment overseas.

**Women leaders from Western Highlands with secretary for the national council of women Simon Kilori taking part in the Independence celebration in the province recently.**

He said patients who were able to seek further treatment went overseas but for those patients who couldn’t, he said it was like “go home and die”.
“When we reach 50, let’s aim towards being health independent,” Dr Molumi said.
“We have to build the infrastructure so that we don’t need to go overseas.
“We have a lot of work to do and we will need the support from everyone to provide the specialised services in this country so that we don’t have to travel overseas.”

**Lilly Dagari, 14, and Hadley Kavida, 6, from Northern, showing off their traditional attire in Port Moresby recently. – Nationalpic by KENNEDY BANI**

The hospital is embarking on to achieve health independence is by working together with its supporters, non-government organisations and corporate partners such as Kumul Petroleum Holdings Ltd that has been instrumental in getting the hospital’s cardiac programme.
“Now, we are doing both cardiac and brain stenting,” Dr Molumi said.
“We never thought we would be doing stenting sooner but its happening.” So far, over 90 angiograms and 15 stents have been performed on patients and the hospital has ordered more stents which are on the way for patients who are on the waiting list.

**Policemen from Western Highlands (MS07) and soldiers from Moem Barrack’s charlie company at Tikipi village, Hela, on Independence Day. – Picture supplied**

Construction of the cancer centre is progressing well while five radiation therapists have been sent abroad to study at the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka.
They will be a part of the team that will drive cancer services at the hospital at the cancer centre.
Moreover, a curriculum in clinical oncology that was recently developed by consultant oncologists Dr Karthik Periyasamy and Dr Priya Baskaran Shanmuga and the school of medicine and health science will be rolled out soon to train the cancer services manpower.
“Online nursing oncology training commenced with our nurses undergoing training so that once the infrastructure is complete and equipped, we will have the manpower in place to provide cancer services and train more workforce for this country,” Dr Molumi said.
“The same can be replicated to other regions of the country.”
He said the hospital was also working in partnership with the PNG Kidney Foundation to set up a dialysis centre at the hospital.