Pathetic health service amid economic boom

 WHILE our political leaders are congratulating each other over the completion of the Kumul Flyover and the Pacific Games venues, spare a thought for the sick waiting for medicine without a single word of protest outside aid posts, rural health centers and provincial hospitals. 

For those in the rural areas, many will be turned away to live out their remaining days in their homes simply because the most basic of drugs will not be available. 

As a patient sitting out in the corridor of the countries only CT Scan room at our nation’s premier hospital, the Port Moresby General Hospital, the long wait in getting my reports on scans done 3 weeks earlier has prompted me into writing to express my disappointment at the unacceptable standard of health services successive governments continue to force upon us, its people. 

For the many sitting at my side also waiting for their reports, their plight and the struggle to get this far may not be told or heard by the public though many out there are already aware of the ongoing episodes at our many hospitals. 

Many a patient may have given up on life while many more don’t have the know-how or means to speak out or protest about getting the most simplest of health services accorded them done right because even if they did, their protests would  most certainly fall on deaf ears. 

For the first time in the short history of this nation, we are witnessing unprecedented development and growth taking place at break neck speed. Billions of kina are being poured into upgrading infrastructure like roads, air and sea ports, games venues and many more. 

For the average person on the street, astronomical amounts spent on those projects can almost certainly mean vast amounts in billions of kina are available at the hands of our politicians to spend each year for the benefit of the people. 

So while the country can afford to spend those billions including the K1.4 billion spent on the Games venues, patients like myself are wondering why it is that the government has no money to invest in purchasing much needed medical equipment at a fraction of the cost of what has already been spent on the Pacific Games. 

Why it is that the Government cannot afford to bring in doctors from abroad to train or partner our national doctors in bringing health services to our rural areas? Why it is that the Government cannot afford to set up another cancer hospital in Port Moresby to cater for the large number of cancer patients in the Southern region. And the long list goes on. 

Amid this sad state of affairs, our politicians see fit to beat their chests and declare to the people, our economy is doing well and we are advancing. 

Until such time these issues are addressed, all previous governments including this government has nothing to be proud of. 

Frank Nouairi 

Port Moresby