PMGH’s dilemma

THE doctor population ratio of 1:17,000 plus people will continue to be a burden for the country.
With the annual growth rate of three per cent plus and with 270,000 to 300,000 people added every year, we are playing a catch up game in all areas of government activities, and the worst hit is in health.
The 12 per cent of the GDP in the budget should be given to health.
When this does not come, the problems faced will continue to exist unless we do research on our past performances to look to the future with a good outlook.
The population of Port Moresby will soon go past the 1,000,000.
The coming national census will give us a true figure.
The Port Moresby General Hospital, when it was first built, was able to cater for 200,000 people.
When the Japanese section was built and as PMGH is today, was planned to cater for 400,000 people.
Now, PMGH is suffocating.
With the struggling urban clinics, and the provincial migration to the city, the Port Moresby General Hospital which is a national tertiary referral and teaching hospital will continue to face and struggle with the enormous collateral burdens. PMGH is playing a level 1-7 roles at the same time.
Unless NCD, Central and Gulf and other hospitals in the country revamp their health services, PMGH will continue carrying the burden.
At present, PMGH is like a patient too struggling to get well to become a Level 7 hospital.

Dr James Naipao
President
National Doctors Association