http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20080306/thhome.htm
FORMER health minister Sir Peter Barter has described yesterday’s Post-Courier report on K28 million being allocated to the nation’s largest hospital as misleading.
“According to my records the amount allocated from the supplementary budget for PMGH was less than K10 million,’’ he said.
He said the money was allocated for projects, including the purchasing of a film processor, operating table, defibrillator, installation of CAT-scan machine, reconstruction of the outpatient and accident section, refurbishing of the antenatal ward and obstetrics and gynaecology theatre, air conditioning to a number of areas such as the operating theatre, accident and emergency section, intensive care unit and the mortuary autopsy unit.
Sir Peter said most of the cheques had been released to PMGH for these purposes.
In yesterday’s paper, it was reported that Port Moresby General Hospital had run out of life-saving medicine so patients were buying their own medicine as prescribed by nurses and doctors. In addition, there were a lack of doctors because some were doing private work.
Sir Peter expressed his concern over the growing number of doctors wanting to work in private clinics and seeking opportunities overseas where they would be paid better.
As health minister he made a number of recommendations to address this issue, including bonding doctors with the Government for a number of years so they remained with the public service. This is also in return for the Government paying the cost of their medical training. “The word ‘bonding’ was not popular and the word contracting was substituted, even then there was strong opposition by doctors and my attempt failed. Given the current situation where there is such a small number of doctors working in hospitals I believe it is time for the system of ‘contracting’ doctors to be reviewed,’’ said Sir Peter.
He said so far PNG had graduated just over 1000 doctors, of which less than half were still in the public health system.
