New health board to oversee health services in Morobe

BOARD members for the Morobe health authority (MPHA) will take the leadership in health services in the province, Health secretary Pascoe Kase says.
Kase said this on Thursday before the swearing-in of nine board members of the authority.
The swearing-in was witnessed by Minister for Health and HIV/AIDS Elias Kapavore, Morobe Governor Ginson Saonu, Nawaeb MP Kennedy Wenge, Huon Gulf MP Ross Seymour and MPHA staff.
Members sworn in were David Wissink as chairman, Ken Wai as deputy board chairman, Robin Bazzinuc, Rev Lucas Kedabing, Fr Arnold Schmitt, Nellie McLay, Sarah Todd, George Gware and Carol Yawing.
“The prime minister, the minister and secretary for health and the Morobe governor cannot deliver health services; we have been doing this as public servants for many years, but there still remains many challenges,” Kase said.
“With the arrangement of the board, the idea is to bring in people from the community, churches, business houses and women’s groups to make sound decisions.”
“The board members are to guide and contribute the success that each one of them have in their own private life.
“We want that success to also happen in delivering health services.”
Kase said the MPHA was a baby, and it needed the board and a good management team to guide it.
He explained that through the signing of the ministerial order or provincial health partnership agreement by the health minister and the governor of Morobe, all responsibilities in health function under the provincial and national government (over Angau Hospital) were now vested on the MPHA. board.
The board than appointed the acting chief executive officer- Grant Muddle.