OOH organisers failed to lodge visa applications: Immigration

Organisers of Operation Open Heart (OOH) failed to lodge appropriate visa applications to bring in voluntary medical professionals into the country.

The annual lifesaving medical operation that gives Papua New Guineans a second chance to life will likely be deferred to another date.

Acting Chief Migration Officer Solomon Kantha said the authority was only informed to facilitate the issuance of visas for the doctors and nurses two weeks ago.

“The process is that OOH has to write to us, providing us the details and endorsing particulars of the foreign volunteer doctors that would be performing these operations.

“The doctors will need to formally lodge applications for their visas and we would facilitate accordingly,” Kantha stated.

“To date, we have not received any application. There is no facility for visa on arrival (VOA) for medical doctors. We have a medical (special exemption) visa that can be issued for that purpose.

“VOA is only for tourists and business and we can't issue tourist visas for doctors. This is contrary to our visa policy and overlooks important requirements/processes for foreign doctors to practice in the country.

“We still stand ready and are waiting for them to lodge their applications so that we can issue their visas,” the acting Chief Migration Officer said.

(File Picture of the OOH operation in 2016)

Author: 
Charles Yapumi