New head aims to deliver

By JINA AMBA
NEW Health secretary Dr Osborne Liko wants to ensure that the Government’s health priorities are captured and delivered with the expected outcomes.
Liko, 56, from Finschhafen, Morobe, took over the position yesterday from Dr Paison Dakulala who had been acting in the position for the past 10 months.
He is an urologist and has been in the health sector for 33 years.
“I am a surgeon,” he said.
“I was qualified as a general surgeon in 1994 and I went to specialisation training.
“I qualified in 1999. I specialise in kidney, male and female bladder.”
He has been chairman of the medical board for 10 years.
As a chief surgeon, he looks after surgical services in the country.
He is looking forward to his four-year term as health secretary to restructure the corporate plans of the department and provincial health authorities.
He plans to review health governance laws such as the 1997 National Health Administration Act.
He wants to see the independent internal auditing of health services and policies.
Liko said he would enforce strict six-monthly appraisals of all health workers and base rewards on outcome-base performance.
He urged Health Department staff to work together to achieve goals and objectives.