Health Secretary

Nurses apologise to health secretary

A letter dated 03rd May was addressed to the Health Secretary, Dr. Osborne Liko, from the General Secretary of the PNG Nurses Association, Gibson Siune.

The letter stated: “I hereby admit that the subject matter in the PMGH Nurses Petition is wrong, should be corrected and addressed as Overtime Allowance for the COVID-19 lockdown period…sincerely apologise for any inconveniences caused”.

Laloki issue administrative, not industrial

This follows media publications about the staff planning industrial action if they don’t receive a favourable response from the Health Department after it carries out a workforce assessment to determine the hospitals workforce structure.

Health Secretary Pasco Kase said there are issues with the proposed structure. 

He said the proposed structure does not comply with set standards and did not meet the requirements of the law.

Kase wants the Acting CEO of Laloki Psychiatric Hospital to go to the Health Department and talk to the Human Resource Team.

Loop PNG's 5@5

NCD Regional counting resumes

Counting has resumed for the National Capital District Regional seat.

http://www.looppng.com/elections/ncd-regional-counting-resumes-62378

 

Moresby South counting officially begins

Counting for the Moresby South seat has officially begun.

​A threat to democracy

In a statement, Health Secretary Pascoe Kase said over 50 percent of teenagers are regular smokers.

“According to the Global Youth Survey conducted in PNG in 2016, 53 percent of young people (age 13-15) are regular smokers,” Kase said.

He said tobacco use is a major health risk, and leads to cancers, heart disease, chronic respiratory illness, diabetes and stroke in adults.         

“It is estimated that 80 percent of premature deaths are attributed to tobacco use in low to middle income countries. This relates directly to PNG,” Kase said.