Port Moresby (EMTV) . The National Government has decided to bring in a number of overseas Doctors and Nurses by the end of this year or early next to off-set what it says, an acute shortage in Papua New Guinea.
Most the nurses will come from the Philippines.
“I’m looking at the end of this year because we have to arrest those problems – the sooner the better,” says Health Minister Michael Malabag.
Poor healthy population creates a major economic and social drawback that is why the government wants to improve that and has placed HEALTH a priority.
“That is something that the government has strongly embarked on to make the health care better available for our people,” says Prime Minister Peter O’Neill.
At the base, the government has introduced free primary health care, and moving up, some major decisions have been made to redevelop and revitalise major hospitals as a referral as well as the national trauma treatment centre.
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| PNG Health Minister. Michael Malabag Photo: EMTV |
These are important but they alone don’t treat the sick nor save lives. There must be health workers, doctors and nurses, and specialists to ensure that now and when the big hospitals are completed.
The government therefore needs to do something quickly.
The Health Minister is aware of a similar proposal made some years back when the then Health minister Sire Peter Barter mooted the concept of bringing in Cuban Doctors.
The reaction from Papua New Guinea workers of the same had been mixed.
The government today is aware that the new arrangement will not be accepted with open arms.
The important message here is that the overseas doctors and nurses are not coming to Papua New Guinea to take over but rather they are here to improve our capacity and at the same time impart knowledge and skills.
This will have to be done now as our training institutions in health are primed to ensure continuity when these people live.