Malabag: Fix nursing shortage problems

By ELIZABETH MIAE

THE Nursing Council of PNG (NCPNG) has been urged to look into the critical shortage of nurses in the country.

Health and HIV/AIDS minister Michael Malabag raised this during the swearing in ceremony of new nurses members yesterday at the health headquarters in Port Moresby.

The registration of both local and expatriate nurses was one issue that the minister called on the council to address.

"I heard about the slackness in the performance of the council in registration of nurses over the years," he said.

"A lot of graduates come from schools but cannot find jobs because of the bureaucratic system."

Malabag said the issue was not shortage of trained nurses but rather the inability of the bureaucracy to register them.

"We must register nurses on time to help our people who are sleeping in the corridors of our hospitals.

"We cannot have people just sit there and do nothing."

The minister offered his support to the new members and encouraged them to perform to their expectations.

"I expect better performance from everyone.

"I want our people to receive the health services they rightfully deserve," he added.

The NCPNG roles include providing overall governance for the nursing profession, registration of all nursing personnel both local and overseas, the discipline of nurses for misconduct and technical and expert advice on nursing curriculum.

The new members who were sworn in yesterday were Dr David Mokela, Sr Mary Kililo, Peter Pindan, Sr Susan Nalu, Sr Eunice Laim, Sr Marlene Dewar, Sr Eimi Kaptigau, Joseph Sika and Frederick Kebai.

The new council members will meet today to elect the chairman and deputy chairman.