Kapavore: Plan will help highlight provinces’ needs

IT is crucial that every province under the provincial health authority (PHA) has a health service plan, says Minister for Health and HIV/AIDS Elias Kapavore.
Kapavore said a heath service plan was important because it captured the need for health service of the entire province.
“From level one to level four at the district level, and level five at the provincial level and levels six and seven at the regional level like Port Moresby General Hospital,” he said.
“All these must be captured under the health service plan.”
Kapavore said the health-service plan should be properly documented and done because it would be communicated to all stakeholders like the donor partners, provincial health authority and the Health Department.
He said because of lack of planning, sometimes funds were being diverted to areas that were not a priority.
“The priority of need should be captured in a service plan. It’s not because of lack of money.
“Money is coming in from donor agencies and other stakeholders but because of lack of plan, money is being diverted to areas that are not priority to us”Kapavore said.
He said plans will guide spending.
Meanwhile, Kapavore confirmed 14 health authorities in the PNG.
“Plans guide us to spend money more effectively in priority areas without spending it unnecessarily so it is important that every province under the provincial health authority has a health service plan.”