Infections in children worry doc

THERE has been an increased number of children with respiratory infections and diarrhoea at the Port Moresby General Hospital, according to medical director services Dr Kone Sobi.
Sobi said this was the usual trend every year from end of February through to end of May and it normally coincided with the wet season.
“With the increasing population, the numbers will continue to increase often beyond our capacity,” he said.
“Trauma and other physical injuries further add to the burden.”
Responding to a social media claim which stated that the hospital had shut its gate to cater for patients who were already inside, Sobi said the department’s gates were open the public.
“The gates are never shut,” Sobi said.
“The department remains open 24 hours, so there may have been some misunderstanding from the post.
“However, the number of staff members allocated is less in the evening and night shifts.
“Our records show that 70 per cent of those coming to the department after hours are not life-threatening emergencies.
“Hence, we have been advising care-givers and parents to bring their children during daylight, or better still visit nearby urban clinics.
“There are usually three machines at the department for the delivery of nebulised salbutamol.
“But over the weekend, one of the machines went missing and another became faulty which is now undergoing repair.
“We are in the process of putting up additional nebuliser machines particularly at this time of the year.”