Hospital questioned over judge’s death

CHIEF Justice Sir Gibbs Salika has questioned how a private hospital in Port Moresby had treated the late Justice Nicolas Kirriwon when he was admitted in February.
During a ceremonial sitting in honour of the late judge yesterday attended by widow Rachael and children, Justice Sir Gibbs called on foreign medical providers in the country to be considerate to “PNG nationals, more so our leaders”.
Justice Kirriwom was taken to the Pacific International Hospital on Feb 23 at about 10pm.
The hospital demanded an up-front deposit of K25,000 before they could attend to him.
“What is the reasonableness of that deposit demand at that time of the day? I admit that some medical treatments require specialist medical attention and those can cost a lot of money,” Sir Gibbs said.
“I was told that the K25,000 was to be just a deposit.
The actual cost would be in the vicinity of K50,000 to K70,000.
“Section 35 of the Constitution gives every person the right to life itself and that it should not be deprived intentionally.
“That life must be protected and preserved at all costs medically and otherwise.”
He said he understood that choosing a hospital was “an individual matter of choice and in this case, the judge and his family decided on PIH”.
“Medical ethics and any thoughts of reserving life appear to go down the drain when medical clinics require exorbitant upfront deposits,” Justice Sir Gibbs said.
He said the late judge was just 66 which “is not old or very old”.
“He died young,” Sir Gibbs said.
Justice Kirriwom was born in Meiwok village, Bogia in Madang on Feb 28, 1955, and served as a judge for almost 24 years.
Justice Sir Gibbs said Justice Kirriwom achieved almost everything he had hoped to achieve.