Minister wants health checks for all public servants

HEALTH and HIV/AIDS Minister Michael Malabag wants to make basic health checks mandatory for all public servants.Malabag said this at the closing of the Health Week on Friday at the old Government building in Port Moresby.“I want to make it mandatory for public servants to go for regular health check up.
“I want to see that public servants go to a public and private hospital to get regular check up and the state pays for it. “The key to avoiding diseases is to always be consistently aware of your normal bodily functions, hence eating the right type of foods doing daily exercise, having lots of rest. We need to have healthy public servants to contribute meaningfully to the development of the country,” Malabag said.He also wants to make basic health checks free at all public hospitals and clinics.He said the O’Neill government was committed to better life of Papua New Guineans.“The policy must be felt and seen.  Our people must see it and feel it.”
Malabag also wants to review the public health career expo so people can go see the different equipment used for health checks.Department of Personal Management secretary John Kali through the experience shared among his staff he has placed a policy where all workers are to use the stairs rather than lift so they do exercise.Kali said too many valuable workers have died because of life style diseases.