Not the right time to build PMC

MANY experienced doctors in PNG are appalled by the state of the health system in our country and want the government to rehabilitate and transform it.
The Pacific Medical Centre which Dr Mathias Sapuri is boasting about will not benefit the average Papua New Guineans.
It will only serve the elites and those who have the money.
Doctors like Sapuri, who are doing private practice, will benefit more if the PMC were to be built.
He said and I quote: “We have done the market value and the market on the paying client and health insurance scheme will pay for itself in the long run”.
What are load of rubbish. PNG does not have a private health insurance scheme yet and if it does, how can the ordinary subsistence farmers afford to pay for insurance?
It will not work at all.
My suggestion is to go back to the drawing board and instead of pushing for the construction of PMC, use the funds to improve the crippling health centres, aid posts and upgrade the existing hospitals in all the provinces.
We can talk about building private medical centres later when the standard of living improves.

Ali Nane
Geelong, Melbourne