PM’s ‘threats’ criticised

OPPOSITION Leader Belden Namah has criticised Prime Minister James Marape for threatening to sack provincial health authority (PHA) officials for their “poor” management of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) funds, saying it was wrong.
“I find the Prime Minister’s threats to the PHAs to produce plans within a fortnight or get the sack to be without foundation and a reflection of his poor management of the affairs of our nation,” Namah said.
“The PHAs need policy direction, strategies, and objectives (which are) supposed to be delivered by the Department of Health through the Health Minister.”
Namah said they had nothing.
“Those policy directions, strategies and objectives are normally in the National Health Plan (NHP) which sets the roadmap for all health plans and programmes from PHAs right down to the aid posts level,” he said.
Marape sent out the warning last week after the provincial health authorities failed to submit their health plans to the Government as required.
Namah said the last NHP (2011-2020) had lapsed.
“So it is Marape’s government which must draw up the next NHP to set the direction for health from 2021 to 2030, his target year for when he will deliver the world’s first developed black Christian nation,” Namah said.
“If he does not know, the development and formulation of the NHP is the primary responsibility of the Department of Health.
“It is long overdue.”
He said the plan might be launched next month.
Namah said Marape should instead be directing the warning to Health Minister Jelta Wong.
“The Health Minister should be the one getting sacked for non-performance, and not the heads of PHAs,” he said.