Market forces undermine ability to deliver health

Market forces have taken over health delivery at the national level.
As a result, we are seeing cascading effects in the provincial and district level where health indicators are very poor.
Poor health indicators, lack of medical supplies and condoms, drugs past their use-by dates, over expenditure of recurrent budget on office supplies and lack of direction from the national level are some of the result.
Market forces are profit-driven pharmaceutical companies, companies disguising as implementing partners for large donor funds like AusAID and Global Fund, NGOs and petty companies absorbing recurrent budgets from expenditures like stationeries and printing.
These forces have overwhelmed the Health Department from the highest level down.
As such, the department has succumbed to these forces and failed to design appropriate plans, execute and evaluate systems and services the public deserves.
Instead, these forces are pushing their agendas with bribes and shares.
Now they have gone further by going for the public private partnerships.
Health is no longer health as it used to be where it is led by people with the heart to serve.
Instead, it is a business opportunity for both foreigners and locals.
I call on the Ombudsman Commission and responsible fellow Papua New Guineans to seriously question and investigate the department inside out.

PNG@heart
Via email