PNG has capacity to contain coronavirus, says Dakulala

National

PAPUA New Guinea has the capacity to contain and treat the novel coronavirus if it enters the country, says Health Department acting secretary Dr Paison Dakulala.
He said that though there were some challenges in having the resources, he believed that with the department’s successful campaign against polio and cholera, they had the capacity to contain and treat the coronavirus.
Dakulala said this following a World Health Organisation (WHO) situation report which stated that the number of confirmed cases had now gone up to 51,857 as of Feb 16.
The report also states that over 25 countries have been affected and 1,666 people had died (three of those deaths had been outside China).
However, the Health Department maintained that it had the capacity to address the virus if it did enter the country.
Meanwhile, a quarantine centre consisting of eight beds had been set up at the Port Moresby General Hospital.
Dakulala said suspected cases would be quarantined there for testing.
He also said that the K10 million allocated by the Government for the novel coronavirus outbreak response would be used to ramp up security and surveillance at all ports, both air and sea.