Australian medical assistance team (Ausmat) doctor Dr Stuart Baker (left) discussing the treatment of severe Coronavirus (Covid-19) patients with Dr Joel Silari at the Goroka General Hospital last week. The Australian government said it continued to support PNG in the provinces where the healthcare system was particularly stretched with challenges in transport and logistics impacting the effectiveness of the Covid-19 response. An Ausmat contingent travelled to Goroka in the Eastern Highlands, which was hit by the Covid-19 surge. Team leader Angela Jackson met with Eastern Highlands health authority chief executive officer Dr Joseph Apa and his team prior to starting clinical work alongside PNG counterparts. – Picture by Australian High Commission
By GLORIA BAUAI THE Morobe Coronavirus (Covid-19) Emergency Operations Centre has recommended more oxygen cylinders at both Angau Memorial Hospital and the provincial Covid-19 hospital. According to statistics from the operations centre, oxygen consumption has been between seven to 10 cylinders daily.
Crowds congregating near Eriku to take part in the protest against taking the Coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccines on Friday. Lae police chief Met Supt Chris Kunyanban was present to talk to the people and prevent the crowd from continuing the protest. Kunyanban expressed concern over misinformation in the community fuelling such actions. He urged the people to use proper avenues to raise their concerns.
It has been recommended that supply at the main hospital be increased to 50 cylinders and supply at the Covid-19 hospital at the Sir Igatius Kilage Stadium be increased to 100. The operations centre stated that it needed clarity on how rural health facilities would collect their oxygen bottles from the area medical store given the arrangement that local company LD logistics was contracted by the Health Department to supply them. The centre reported seeing a lot of positive cases every day as of Oct 19, with a total of over 2,000 cases across the province.
Morobe health authority (PHA) chief executive officer Dr Kipas Binga, however said the updated statistics were unavailable. “We are yet to put this together as they are all over the place,” he told the media in Lae this week.
Australian Defence Force (ADF) soldiers and Australian medical assistance team (Ausmat) who arrived in Port Moresby last Wednesday filling in their arrival forms. Australia deployed an additional Ausmat and 14 ADF personnel to partner with PNG officials in its response to the Coronavirus (Covid-19). – Nationalpic by KENNEDY BANI
Meanwhile, the centre said Swire Shipping Group donated a 40-foot container to be used as a mortuary to accommodate 50 bodies as the mortuary was filled to its 20-body capacity.
St John Ambulance nurse attending to a Covid-19 patient inside the Nightingale Taurama Aquatic Centre in Port Moresby recently. – Nationalfilepic
PNG Swire Shipping country manager Alistair Skingley told The National that the group donated two refrigerated containers – one for Lae and Port Moresby – and also shipped in six containers of medical oxygen.
The emergency medical team from the United Kingdom going through a briefing at the National Control Centre in Port Moresby last Tuesday. The 10-member team is in the country to help in the Covid-19 response as requested by the PNG Government. – Picture by Health Department
“With strong bonds to our customers and partners, as well as to the communities we live and work in, we thought it was only right we stepped up to various calls for assistance,” he said. “We diverted our vessel Vanuatu Chief from New Zealand for an additional call into Lae to discharge specifically designed tanks.”
People waiting to get their Covid-19 vaccination outside the Vision City Mega Mall in Port Moresby last Tuesday. – Nationalpic by JOEL HAMARI
