Two new health policies

 The National Executive Council has approved two new policies for the Health Department.
The policies, approved last Thursday, are connected with health sector partnership and medicines.
Minister for Health and HIV/AIDS Michael Malabag said the two policies would help the delivery of health care services.
“The Government’s commitment to the health of this nation and the investments this Government made in improving the health outcomes will see a healthy nation with healthy people in the years ahead,” he said.
“Human resources are irreplaceable and only a responsible government has seen fit to put people at the frontline of any other development by caring for their health.”
The partnership policy derived from the government’s public-private partnership policy, is for every sector and community, government agencies, businesses that specialise, non-government organisations and churches to partner in service delivery.
The medicine policy aims to address issues of medicine availability, affordability, regulation and quality assurance, rational use of medicines, human resource development and good governance and management framework.
“The national health sector policy will provide a sound framework for members of parliament and the government bureaucracy to engage non-state actors and better guide and support their activities,” Malabag said.
“It is useful to use in progressing health services through partnership as our country is growing.
“The national medicines policy 2013 will enhance the Department of Health’s ability to plan, implement and monitor medicine usage in PNG.
“It provides the framework and direction for co-ordinating activities in the pharmaceutical sector in the country by stakeholders in the public and private sectors and other interested parties.”