Morobe received more than K4.2mil for Covid-19: Health authority chief

MORE than K4.2 million has been received by the Morobe health authority to be used for the Covid-19 outbreak, says chief executive officer Dr Kipas Binga.
“The Government gave K2.2 million, Australia with K1.9 million and New Zealand Aid with K170,000,” Binga said. He said the funds were strictly for the Covid-19 (response).
Dr Binga said more than K1.2 million from Australia and New Zealand had been used already.
He said the Government initially gave K200,000 early last year and K2 million at the end of the year. “(We were) supposed to be given K4 million but we received only K2 million and were promised that after 80 percent of that money has been used, the Government will release another K2 million,” Dr Binga said.
He said the Morobe government gave K1.5 million to the health authority as “untied funds”.
“Out of the amount given by Morobe government, K500,000 was given to law and order while the remaining K1 million was used for the recruitment and training of 44 response team staff,” Dr Binga said.
“The untied funds were used only on the committee’s approval and spent within the budget on recruitment, training, mortuary and hygiene personnel, consumables to supply the Covid-19 setup at the Sir Ignatius Kilage indoor stadium.”