Panic can be deadly: Doc
A DOCTOR in Enga is warning that panic caused by Covid-19 and the response to stop it from spreading can be deadlier than the virus itself.
Kompiam District Hospital rural health and training director Dr David Mills says people “are panicking because we see other nations panicking and we think that how they respond to Covid-19 is how we, Papua New Guineans, should respond,” he said.
“We cannot, and must not respond in the same way that some other nations seem to be responding.
“It seems everyone is panicking. People on the streets are panicking, doctors and nurses are panicking and sadly our Government is panicking.”
Mills warned that panicking was “getting people crushed and some people are certainly going to die” from panicking and not Covid-19.
He said even though Covid-19 would not destroy PNG nor the health system but “our response to it might do damage that could take years to mend.”
“PNG is a country where we are used to living with serious infectious diseases all the time. Many developed countries are not used to these threats and that is part of the reason for their panic. But in PNG, we know about it.”
Mills said the measles outbreak in 2014 in PNG led 70,000 infections and 350 measles deaths, with uncounted numbers of children suffering permanent injury.
“There were 70,000 measles cases in 2014, (but) there was no SOE, no lockdown.
“Now with two (updated to seven) Covid-19 cases, there is an SOE, and total lockdown.
“The list of serious infectious diseases in PNG is unfortunately very long and most are well known to the average PNG citizen.
“We have learned not to be panicked by them,” Mills said.
8 comments
After the COVID19 lock down and panic is over can the government put Corruption lock down be for ever in PNG. The reason we have no proper health facilities is because of Corruption that is breading in the high offices.
Very good, it encourages us.
PNG will not panic if we all know how to avoid the virus. We are scared because we do not have vaccine like measles. the climbing figures of nations like US, UK, Itali, Australia and other countries. the life style of PNG, food we eat, people not adhere to instructions, by all this, people have already concluded the outcome which has lead to people’s reaction.
One must support Government policy more particularly Ministry of health
I hope people stealing from public purse and those involved in corruption can learn from this crises and stop the madness. The government should have improved the health facilities with the monies lost through theft and corruption. With this lessons learned the Government should pass a law that any politician and public officer holder involved in corruption and once implicated should step aside or resign immediately. Lets forget this SLOGAN of REMAIN INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY please.
Though Corona virus is a deathly disease, we Papua New Guinea survived with few life time diseases like HIV AIDS, Cancer, TB, Malaria, but non or never consecutive government give full attention to what the current government is fully committed to contain spread of this killable virus..COVID 19.
It is a very fantastic job, the government of the day is doing.
As Papua New Guinea we expect the health department, and executive government to maintain the same level of alertness, full scale of attention to other Papua New Guinean’s lifelong killable diseases HIV AIDS, Cancer, TB, Malaria, etc
Yes we encounter allots of diseases, but these diseases have totally different transmission styles, the HIV aids, is transmitted through unsafe sexual practise, off which we were warned and compagn after compagn via printed posts, TV and radio. The lock down advise to us was stick to one faithful partner, and so forth. TB, we do have medicines to cure, Malaria, we have medicines available to help cure, but this COVID 19 is new and we do not have the vaccine available that is why our government is trying their utmost best to help and protect us all.
Thank you doctor. That is the most positive comment made by a professional medical officer. COVID-19 is already in the country and there is a high probability that it may have been in this country way before the outbreak in China. We have may have contracted it as like the flu which comes every flu season. But we were able to overcome it due to our well regulated immune system that has fought against countless infectious disease outbreaks over the years. GOD BLESS OUR COUNTRY PAPUA NEW GUINEA
Comments are closed.