Isolation facility closed

The National Main Stories

By LULU MARK
THE Rita Flynn Covid-19 isolation and treatment facility in Port Moresby has been closed for the past three weeks because of funding problems, an official says.
National Capital District Health Authority chief executive officer Dr Jerry Tanumei told The National that the unavailability of operational funding had affected the sustaining of services at the centre where hundreds of confirmed cases had been treated since March.
He said there was no patient isolated at the centre today although they were continuing swabbing there.
“We provide the clinical management but for operational funding, we depend on the Health Department in a significant way,” he said.
“It’s like a field hospital.
“And just like any hospital, you need funds to operate.
“If there are funding constraints, you cannot do much.
“You just have to scale down.”
He said they were reviewing the Covid-19 response in partnership with the Health Department.
“We are awaiting funding from the department to have it going at a minimum level because the patient number is not many,” Dr Tanumei said.
National Control Centre incident manager Dr Daoni Esorom said they were urging provincial health authorities around the country to do more Covid-19 tests after a spike had been forecast in November and December.
He explained that there were some outstanding payments for employees of the National Capital District Health Authority and service providers.
“Hopefully, we can get the centre open again,” he said.
Dr Esorom said people could still go to the Port Moresby General Hospital and other urban clinics to get swabbed.

7 comments

  • Totally unacceptable.
    This Government has lost sight of its priorities.
    Everywhere else in the world is 100% focused on dealing with the COVID-19 Virus,
    EXCEPT PNG ,
    because of its slack Government.
    This is why we have no confidence in returning you to Government.
    Goof buy.

  • Dr Tanumei, While you are busy at Rita Flynn playing Netball and wasting your time to impress the government, many people you could have saved are dying in the hospital. Close the Centre and get to work in the Hospital.

    This government has collected millions of Kina earmarked for the C19 but those monies are used up in Hire Cars, Accommodations and some have gone to the beauracrats and the government coffers! They have forgotten about the good job you are doing to save lives.
    Therefore, don’t waste your time there but do something useful to save dying people in the Hospitals!

  • 3 MPs contracted with virus now supposed to be there and also who are these 3 MPs ???Giaman tu orait.who knows God wanpela sol save na usait yu putim long media sol save.If you are telling to the people of PNG.It will turn back to you.

  • Where all the millions kina had gone to? That’s great news best to de-mob the isolation facilities.
    It’s no use to have to isolate when there’s no operational capital funds secured to manage those
    being affected. Shows management /concern slackness from the very people involved.
    M orait convert that isolation building to a public recreation area

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