No progress in positions created, say health workers

COMMUNITY Health Workers Association members say they have not seen any progress in the creation of file numbers for 526 positions approved by the Department of Personnel Management for the East Sepik provincial administration in 2007.
In a statement, Papua New Guinea Community Health Workers Association general secretary James Amuna yesterday called on the East Sepik government and the Department of Personnel Management to investigate the creation of file numbers for the 526 positions approved under the rural health services.
“We are at a crossroads now and want to blame the East Sepik provincial administration and the Department of Personnel Management for the long delay in implementation of these positions,” Amuna said.
He said the 526 positions were approved based on a project submission but nothing constructive had taken place.
He said several letters were written to the East Sepik provincial administration to speed up the process but progress was still slow, leaving casual community health workers in suspense.
Amuna said the 2013 budget preparations had been prepared already and he want the department and the East Sepik provincial administration to work together to complete that task.
Attempts to get comments from the East Sepik provincial administration were
unsuccessful.