Members look to work with Tefuarani

THE medical symposium in Wewak last month was a success for the very fact that the PNG Medical Society members voted out incumbent chairman Dr Mathias Sapuri.
His replacement is Prof Nakapi Tefuarani, a paediatric cardiologist.
He is a full-time clinician and senior clinical lecturer at the school of medicine and health sciences at UPNG and has been at the forefront of the successful annual Operation Open Heart programme.
This change of guard will hopefully lead to a change in the delivery of health services in PNG.
The primary aim of the medical society is to work with the Health Department to give sound technical advice to the government on the best mode of health care delivery.
The president of the medical society is a very influential position which can be abused for personal gains or manoeuvred for the betterment of the people’s health.
One major task ahead is the much publicised and controversial Pacific Medical Centre to be build at Bautama.
Sapuri used to be the chairman of the technical advisory group for PMC and the chief medical officer of Health Department Dr Goa Tau was his deputy chairman.
I would like to ask the Minister for Health, Sasa Zibe, to clarify who is the chairman of the advisory group – Sapuri or Tefuarani, who is now the president of the PNG Medical Society.
It will be interesting to see what transpires in the ensuing months.
The majority of the society members are looking forward to working with Tefuarani, who is known as a team player.

Dr Werake Yu
Via email