PMGH receives vital surgery equipment

 By ELIZABETH MIAE

PORT Moresby General Hospital (PMGH) yesterday received medical equipment worth K500,000 for its main operating theatre from the government. 

The urology equipment, which were presented by Health and HIV/AIDS Minister Michael Malabag, would help improve the quality of surgeries.

The equipment includes a laparoscopy keyhole camera tower and a flexible incubating video endoscopy which was purchased from Karl Storz-Endoskope (Australia), a company that specialises in the production and sale of medical instruments and devices including provision of training to health workers on the use of the equipment. 

The equipment would be used in the following surgeries:

• Laparascopic surgery – surgical procedures with the assistance of a video camera and several thin instruments;
• Urology prostate surgery – prostate cancer surgery;
• Transurethral prostectomy – procedure involves the removal of the prostate gland through the urethra;
• Gallstone surgery – surgery to remove gallbladder stones;
• Laparascopic cholecystectomy – surgery to remove the uterus; 
• Orthopaedic surgery – surgery to correct problems that arise in the skeleton and its attachments, ligaments and tendons; and
• Arthroscopic surgery – procedure where a fibre optic telescope is inserted into a joint to evaluate and treat a number of conditions.

Chief surgeon and senior urologist Dr Osborne Liko expressed gratitude to the hospital board and the government describing it as a dream come true. 

“This machine would go a long way to assist us in the surgeries. In the past, we had different companies that gave us all sorts of equipment but the problem was sustainability,” he said. 

Liko said a team from Karl Storz was currently training the staff at the operating theatre on the usage of the new equipment. 

“My biggest concern is the sustainability but we will go by the quality of it as it is the state of the art laparascopic machine.”

Chief anaesthetist Dr Duncan Dobunaba said the new equipment would help them to teach medical students and doctors as well as do proper assessments on their students. 

Malabag also urged the hospital management to ensure that the two kidney dialysis machines donated to the hospital by the PNG Kidney Foundation be installed as soon as possible as they were vital. 

“As minister, I expect nothing but the best from the hospital and the patients will be the ones to judge what the department, ministry and hospital is doing.”

He said the government was going through a procurement process and would be purchasing medical equipment for hospitals as health was one of its five priority areas.