Port Moresby hospital needs more operating theatres

MORE operating theatres are needed at the Port Moresby General Hospital (PMGH) in order to cater for the growing number of patients who require surgery, a doctor says.
While welcoming the 10th Chinese medical team to Papua New Guinea and thanking them for their services yesterday, the PMGH chief surgeon and urologist Dr Osborne Liko said because of the lack of theatres some patients were denied needed surgeries.
He said apart from the knowledge and skills that were shared by the Chinese team, who had been coming to PNG since 2002, surgical equipment was also donated by the Chinese government.
“We were privileged that the team came with two urologists.
“And with their contributions and efforts, we now have instruments that are worth more than K5 million,” Liko said.
Health Department secretary Pascoe Kase said the Chinese government had continuously sent medical teams over a 17-year period.
The teams have contributed to the capacity building of local experts and improvements at PMGH.
Kase told the delegation from the Chongquing Health Commission of China that there was a shortage in the workforce in all the cadres of health in the country.
Over the time of the exchange, 90 consultant doctors and support staff were sent in, 10-member teams who spent almost two years in the country.
Instruments donated by the team would be used for procedures such as keyhole surgeries for the kidneys and to carry out prostrate surgeries and biopsies.
Liko said the equipment was still packed in the boxes because of the lack of theatres.
He said the catheterisation laboratory that was opened last week and radiological instruments were important for diagnostics but some of the tools that would be used in surgeries had not been unpacked.
“We need operating theatres,” Liko said.
“Everything else we do from oncology to the cath lab need to be done in the operating theatre.”
He said the existing four operating theatres were not enough.
“Our people are suffering from the issues that we have with the theatres.
“As a way forward we need 10 to 15 operating theatres.”
Liko said the Chinese medical team comprised professors, surgeons and specialist nurse.
He said they had imparted valuable knowledge on the use of the equipment as well as advice on procedures and methods of treatment.
Liko said beginning this year, PNG medical professionals would be sent to China as part of the training component of the partnership between the countries.
A delegation from the Chinese government led by Li Yanping accompanied the 10th Chinese medical team who would start their duty on Monday.
The ninth team returned home.