Tete soon to have hospital

By LULU MARK
NATIONAL Capital District Governor Powes Parkop says a 500-bed level five hospital will be built in Gerehu’s Tete soon to ease the load on the Port Moresby General Hospital (PMGH).
“A steering committee comprising Prime Minister James Marape and his National Executive Council (NEC), representatives from National Planning, Works and Health departments, NCD health authority, Finance Department and the NCD Commission has been set up with myself as chairman and city manager Benard Kipit my deputy,” Parkop said.
“There will be a sub-committee to oversee the project.”
After the first meeting of the steering committee this week, Parkop told The National that the hospital had been approved by the NEC, the concept design met compliance requirements and standards of the Health Department and the physical planning and building board approval had also been granted.
“Funding is now the only thing we need to raise or get to build the hospital,” he said.
“The hospital is expected to cost more than K500 million and we have started the process today to secure funds from the national budget and from donor sources.
“It is important we have the hospital completed in the shortest possible time so that we can release demand on PMGH so that it becomes a specialised and teaching hospital.
“PMGH needs to focus on cancer, heart, women and children’s health, diabetes and other life style diseases which are on the rise.
“All other general medical needs of NCD, including Central and Gulf, will be catered by the new hospital.”