Management blamed for poor hospital services

 HEALTH Minister Michael Malabag says patient care has been lacking in major hospitals because of poor management. 

He told Parliament on Wednesday that the primary role of any health centre or hospital was to provide sufficient care to the sick. 

Praising hospital and health workers for working under trying conditions, Malabag said poor management and attitude from some senior staff led to poor care of  patients. 

He said staff morale was low, contributing to less productivity. 

Poor care was also caused by doctors engaged in work outside hospital duties, Malabag claimed. 

“These are serious issues that have been going on for a long while now,” he said. 

“Doctors are also moonlighting and spending time on outside jobs for money while getting full pay from the government. 

“That has also contributed to the decline in patient care across the country. 

“This problem of poor management, of not supporting their staff, has caused the decline in services.”

Goroka General Hospital had very a poor management of corporate and patient services, Malabag said.

The standard of patient care had “really dropped” at the hospital, he said.