Southern Highlands opens medical supplies warehouse

THE Southern Highlands Health Authority opened its medical supplies transit warehouse and a pharmacy last Thursday in Mendi.
The authority had been travelling to Mt Hagen in Western Highlands to get its medical supplies.
Provincial health adviser Michael Mombu said the facility would benefit the bulk of population and was an excellent investment.
Chief executive officer Dr Joseph Birisi said although the medical supplies transit house had been erected, the authority still had to get medical supplies to store in the new building.
“Now that we already have the building, the next task is to look for a pharmacist and medical supplies,” he said. Birisi said the authority faced challenges especially in funding.
He said under the organic law, the money for rural health (health functional grants) came under the provincial government.
He said there should be a memorandum of understanding so that funds could be accessed by the authority.
“Money for the hospital is for the hospital alone and cannot be shared with rural health,” he said.