Mental health services need boosting: Kapavore

THE mental health services in Papua New Guinea need to be strengthened as they have been neglected for far too long, an official says.
The shadow Minister for Health and HIV/AIDS Elias Kapavore said ongoing protest led by staff at the Laloki Psychiatric Hospital (LPH) since last week had led to denying of health care to patients. The protesting staff claimed that the LPH was under the Health Department as per the Public Hospital Act of 1994 and not the Directorate of Social Change and Mental Health (DSHMC) and the initial appointment of chief executive officer Dr Losavati Wilbur Daugunu was illegal.
DSHMC board chairman Cardinal Sir John Ribat visited the hospital on Saturday and in the presence of police the barred gate and doors, including that of the CEO’s, were opened.
Kapavore who was the Health Minister at the time of the appointment of Dr Daugunu as the acting CEO said the appointment in 2019 was in compliance with the Mental Health Act 2015 which stated that the CEO of a psychiatric hospital should be appointed by the board on recommendation by the director.
He said he was the minister and he realised that the Mental Health Act 2015 was in place but was not implemented.