Nonga hospital relocation questions

 RABAUL MP Dr Allan Marat says there has been too much politicking over plans to relocate the Nonga General Hospital.

He said there was too much talk about relocating the hospital because of the volcanoes.

“It started with relocating to somewhere near Vunakanau, in Gazelle district, and a few millions were wasted there,” he said.

“Then people started talking about relocating the hospital to Putput, then to Wairiki in Toma area.

“No one has really given proper thought to the so-called relocation of Nonga as you cannot physically shift Nonga hospital out from where there are thousands of people living in proximity to it who need medical care and attention.”

Marat said if a new hospital was to be built, it must be called another name.

“The name Nonga is native to this place and must stay here,” he said.

Marat said instead of building a new hospital, funds should be poured into the Nonga hospital and into expanding the health centres.

He said the training of doctors, sisters and nurses and other staff of Nonga hospital should be ongoing.

“The Rabaul School of Nursing should be re-established at the hospital and very costly equipment for properly treating patients with all sorts of curable diseases should be acquired.”

Marat claimed that some foreigners were interested in funding the new hospital for K300 and K500 million.