PM calls for more effort in addressing Covid-19

PRIME Minister James Marape has urged the Governors to step up efforts in addressing and containing the recent upsurge in the Covid-19 infections in the country.
Marape said provincial admirations needed to ensure that the Covid-19 measures were being strictly enforced and complied with in all districts.
He made the call last week when hosting the first series of monthly governors’ meetings to address the heightened Covid-19 situation.
The presentation included an update on the budget and expenditure nationwide, statistics of the Covid-19 cases in the provinces including the National Capital District (NCD), lack of capacity and logistics in provincial and district hospitals and most importantly, lack of fully kitted intensive care beds for citizens who have contracted the virus.
There are only 200 intensive care beds nationwide which is not enough to cater for the increase.
“I want to see the number of fully kitted intensive care beds increased nationwide in the immediate to long-term,” Marape said.
“I have tasked Health secretary Dr Osborne Liko and National Control Centre (NCC) Controller David Manning to address the acute shortage of beds and other related medical needs and accessories as a matter of urgency.”
Marape appealed for collective and concerted efforts by all governors through their respective health authorities to provide a cost analysis on their needs to enable the NCC to disburse funds and report accordingly.
He emphasised on the need for the governors to remind their people of the new containment and isolation strategy to strictly enforce and comply with the “Niupela Pasin”.