No capacity to treat diseases: Doc

LIFESTYLE diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure and chronic kidney disease are increasing at an alarming rate but the country still lacks the capacity to treat them, a doctor says.
Port Moresby General Hospital chief executive officer Dr Paki Molumi said more awareness on the prevention of lifestyle diseases was needed.
At the same time, the health sector must build infrastructure and human resource capacity to treat these diseases.
Molumi emphasised the importance of kidney leading up to the World Kidney Day celebration today.
He said eating a lot of processed food and not exercising would lead to lifestyle disease such as diabetes which affected the kidney. “Papua New Guineans are going into that modern lifestyle,” he said.
“Lifestyle diseases are increasing and kidney disease is one of them.
“We have to start building up the facilities and appropriate human resource so that we can manage the increase.”
Under the national health plan, the PMGH will become a level six specialist referral, teaching and research hospital.
Provincial health authorities will have specialist hospitals but PMGH will provide services which people go overseas to receive.
The PMGH had started cardiac services.
Interventional and kidney services are next in line.
“The Port Moresby General Hospital kidney dialysis centre has eight machines and we are waiting for the engineers to come and install them,” Molumi said.
“There has been some delays due to the (Coronavirus) Covid-19 restrictions.
“But our partnership with the National Fisheries Authority will make sure that kidney dialysis function is working.”