Malabag reminder of free health policy

National, Normal
Source:

The National, Tuesday 12th February, 2013

By JEFFREY ELAPA
PUBLIC hospitals in PNG should not be charging hospital fees, Health Minister Michael Malabag says.
He told parliament last week that the government had introduced free health and education and there was no need for hospitals to charge fees.
Malabag was responding to Manus MP Ronny Knight, who said the Manus provincial hospital, was charging hefty admission, consultation and treatment fees.
He added that an amendment to the hospital charges Act would soon be introduced to allow for free health services. The free health policy would continue until a new amendment was enacted.
The minister also said the PNG and Australian governments would allocate funding to improve the condition of the Manus hospital under the asylum seekers processing agreement.
He said the Australian government has made a commitment to spend more than K1 million at the Lorengau hospital.
He added that the government had given more than K18.5 million to the Manus provincial go­vernment for infrastructure development and about K1 million from the funding should go to the Lorengau hospital for its infrastructure improvements.