More needed for free health care to work

IT is indeed assuring that the
government is channelling more funds into the health and education sectors in its remaining term in office.
But it must not ignore the important issue of health governance and implementation of the free health care policy, which was brought up in the parliament by Dame Carol Kidu (The National, Feb 22).
These pertinent issues will determine the outcome of the policy and should not become yet another lame political gimmick.
The government has done its job by deciding on the funding.
It is now the job of health admi­nistrators to produce results in terms of saving lives, and not building monuments.
This is the tricky part in our practice today where health administrators are more focused on infrastructure and administration rather than providing evidence-based health care services to our people.
The clinical governance in the delivery of healthcare has deteriorated so much so that hospitals today barely recognise the enormity of its consequences.
It is not surprising then, that health institutions are now submitting proposals to construct monuments instead of elevating the standard of patient care.
There are many areas that need improvement, such as the reviewing of the pharmaceutical drug catalogue, improving biochemical ser­vices in hospitals as well as the procurement, distribution and auditing of pharmaceutical items.
These limited resources must be monitored and utilised efficiently
to avoid unnecessary wastage.
Existing services must also be upgraded and new ones introduced to optimise clinical outcomes.
I am sure there are national strategies in place to measure the results of this policy.
The next government should also be briefed on the limitations in im­plementing this policy and how best to move forward.
Today is the opportunity for
the government and the heath bureaucracy to improve our health care delivery to Papua New Gui­neans.
The government must be fed with relevant advice and information to make reasonable and appropriate decisions for the long haul.
Papua New Guineans must also be mindful of the fact that the
pro­mise of free health care is not absolutely sustainable, nor does it subtend to an ideal optimised care.
It has been shown that countries which provide free health care do so with suboptimal care for various reasons and that will plague our care delivery in years to come.
But for now, let us get our orientation right and give it a go.

Dr Leslie Bahn Kawa
Via email