Vanimo hospital leads the way

 By SHEILA MALKEN

ALL chief executive officers of hospitals and boards must take ownership of the hospitals to bring about change and improve services, a senior health officer said.

Vanimo General Hospital CEO Elias Kapavore said the hospital was the first in the country to undertake four consecutive accreditations under the PNG health care standards. 

“It has retained its five-star rating with improved rating of 96.5%,” he said. 

“The hospital was first surveyed in 2001 scoring 67% or a three-star rating. It scored 86% or four stars rating in 2004 and in 2008, the hospital had its third survey scoring a rating of 91.9% or five-star rating.” 

He said to maintain its compliance to clinical and corporate governance, the hospital had its fourth survey done last November scoring the rating of 96.5%, the highest compliance for any public hospital in PNG.

Kapavore said Mendi Hospital CEO Joseph Turian led a survey team comprising senior health officials to Vanimo last year for the survey.

“Turian said the hospital met all recommendations in the third survey and acknowledge that it was a fine example of a health care facility that promotes the PNG health care standards,” Kapavore said.