While the nation’s attention is on COVID-19, there are concerns that preventable diseases may increase.
In an effort to mitigate that, the Morobe Provincial Health Authority is rolling out routine immunisation.
In a media briefing, the Morobe Provincial Health Authority CEO, Dr Kipas Binga, advised the province that a major immunisation drive will be carried out across all districts and schools.
The Provincial Health Authority is strongly encouraging the community to immunise children under 5 years old against diseases like TB, hepatitis, polio, pneumonia, measles, rubella and whooping cough.
“Em ol disla sut ba kam autsait,” he stated. “Ino olsem wanpla microchip olsem ol man toktok nabaut. Nogat. So plis, noken fret na karim ol pikinini go. It’s an appeal, it’s an opportunity that yu karim ol pikinini go so that exercise can take place.”
Furthermore, checkpoints have been set up at the Lae Port, Nadzab Airport, Mutzing and Bulolo Airport while district teams have developed standard operating procedures and have set up their clinical spaces as best as they can to manage COVID-19.
Dr Binga said their district health teams are also staffing Morobe checkpoints at the points of entry.
He has forewarned that PMVs travelling in from the Highlands region as well as Madang will soon be asked to enter the province in the daytime only.
“So people travelling in especially, we can process you before coming into Morobe. That’s basically a callout to all the PMV owners and everybody who is using that highway and corridor to come into Morobe.”
Meantime, the Morobe COVID-19 Hospital at the Sir Ignatius Kilage Stadium is ready. All items necessary for its operations have been procured while the clinical and corporate services team will be completing preparations to have it operational by end of this week.