Muthuvel raises concern on doctors

THE practice of appointing trained doctors such as  surgeons to chief executive jobs in hospitals denied people good doctors, parliament has been told.
West New Britain Governor Sasindran Muthuvel said during debate on health issues that many hospital boards in the country had appointed trained doctors as executives and this had led to an acute shortage of good doctors.
He said doctors, who were supposed to use their trained skills and knowledge to save lives ,were becoming administrators.
“I’m saying this in light of the shortage of doctors in my province where there are no doctors and that many have to be paid to serve patients. I had to help my wantoks and paid K2,000 to K3,000 for doctors to operate on patients,” he said.
He said doctors did not commit time to serve people and they were dying while waiting.
He said the excuses from hospitals was that they did not have doctors or drugs.
Muthuvel also said medicines on shelves in hospitals throughout the country were sub-standard.
He said procurement or medical supplies should go through an international bidding process to ensure quality drugs were obtained and the country was getting value for money.
“Our people need quality medicines and not substandard medicines,” he said.
He wants a change in the laws to allow provinces to buy their own medicines and equipment.