Millions spent on facilities

By SHIRLEY MAULUDU
SOME businesses have spent up to K9 million to set up their own clinics and medical facilities for their employees, according to a survey.
The survey was conducted between June and July this year which involved 150 business leaders, representing 20,000 employees from various industries in the private sector.
“Some organisations spent K50,000 to K9.5 million to set up their own in-house clinics and medical facilities for their employees,” PNG Business Council executive director Douveri Henao told a media conference yesterday.
“That’s indicative of the fact that because the public health system was highly compromised.
“The private sector had to focus on resources to build its own clinics and hospitals.
“On top of the ventilators and test kits, and hand sanitisers that they spent their resources around.
“When we look at the business cost, a majority, which is round about 86 per cent of the organisations that were surveyed, shouldered the cost related to the Coronavirus (Covid-19) prevention and the management of their employees.
“If you break that down, face masks and sanitisers, 70 per cent of those costs were in that space.
“Twenty-one per cent of those costs were testing employees and then 11 per cent was building up their own clinics and medical facilities.
“These companies, on average, spent about K70,000 on face masks and hand sanitisers.
“You have a further K166,000 for testing kits.
“But there were also some businesses that actually purchased their own ventilators.
“Sixty-four per cent indicated they have insurance to cover their staff.
“Only 19 per cent have coverage for the Covid-19 and related medical issues.
“This 19 per cent is an improvement because last year, there was no medical cover for the Covid-19, on average.”