PAC asks about regret over issue
PUBLIC Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman Sir John Pundari asked Health secretary Pascoe Kase and his technical evaluation team whether they felt any remorse over the years that many Papua New Guineans had died from curable diseases due to medicine and drug shortages.
Kase responded: “I disagree. The National Department of Health (NDoH) has a responsibility to ensure that people had access to quality medication.”
The remarks were made on the third day of the PAC inquiry into the procurement and supply of medicine in Papua New Guinea. PAC member, Jiwaka Governor William Tongamp, also asked Kase to clarify if (medicine) samples were tested and where the tests were done.
Kase said all medicine supplies brought in were tested and checked by a WHO certified testing facility and that the process involved many people undergoing a long process to ensure that all supplies into the country met the standards.
He said that random testing were also done when it reached the shores of border provinces that included West Sepik and Western.
“The medicine supplies are then finally tested at the K4 million Gordon testing facility before it is distributed,” he said.
Tongamp then asked: “Why was there no testing facility until recently, in 2017, when the cost was only K4 million to build one?”
Kase said NDoH did not have the money to build the facility and that the government at that time also failed to fund them to build the facility.
“We were only able to build it in 2017, thanks to donor partners,” he said.
Sir Pundari yesterday adjourned the PAC inquiry into the NDoH, National Procurement Commission (NPC) and Borneo Pacific Pharmaceutical Ltd (BPPL) on the awarding of two Government contracts worth K100 million to supply medical kits and antibiotics in August to Nov 19.
“Due to the significance of the issue, the committee has decided to be fair to all parties and to give them time to prepare their responses,” he said. “The health secretary and his team will be summoned again on Nov 19 to appear before the committee, including all other parties of interest.
“Let me assure you that the committee will leave no stones unturned so that Papua New Guineans are able to access quality medicine wherever they are and at all times.
“There is much work to be done.
“I encourage the Kase to remain honest in this inquiry.
“If we have made mistakes, let us be honest about it.
“If we had made mistakes in the past, let us be honest about it too.
“Change can only come with honesty.” He also thanked the BPPL chairman Sir Martin Poh who had attended the inquiry for the past three days.
4 comments
Kasi disagreed….madly responsible for genocide across the country. Thousands have died from curable diseases. He is dumbfounded, do not know his responsibility’s depth and width spreading right into the remote settings of places like Olsobip and Maipani in Western Province where hardly any evidence of medicine delivered sitting on the Aid Post selves year in year out. People rely on bush herb medicine. What a shame?
Just get the National Doctors Association to submit all their evidences. They knew all along that Kase was incompetent and unprofessional and had no medical practice back ground.
That is the problem with PNG appointment processes. Its ridiculous in the sense that political cronies can be appointed by any PM or any Minister for that matter. Its the Government’s fault back then for appointing wrong people to run vital departments like the DOH. They always play with human lives…now look what this person has done to PNG
Martin Poh should be deported from the country. He is serial white-collar criminal. The simple evidence is how did he got contract 2013 when his company did not met the ISO credentials.
This is a serious matter in the history of this country and it must come to light, go ahead PAC and complete the investigations and get those responsible from the minister down to the departments heads if found guilty to stand trial for manslaughter and act of genocide.
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