The Paiam District Hospital in Porgera has transferred its administrative and financial responsibilities to the Enga Provincial Health Authority (EPHA).
This follows the signing of a subsidiary Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) by stakeholders of the Porgera Mine Project.
In a statement by the Mineral Resources Authority (MRA), the EPHA will be fully responsible for funding and managing the hospital.
Stakeholders believe the transfer will promote an efficient provision of health services to the public in the district, Porgera Town and Province.
Since its establishment in 1998, the Paiam District Hospital has been managed on an ad hoc basis financially and stakeholders of the Porgera Mine Project MOA have been assisting with funding.
Under the subsidiary MOA, stakeholders have agreed to perform the following roles to achieve full transition of the functions. They include:
- EPHA Board to govern the hospital
- The hospital to have a non-remunerated committee that will report to the EPHA board on the operation of the hospital
- The EPG and EPHA to provide funding during this period
- The PLOA has undertaken to work in consultation with the National Government, the EPG and the PDA to ensure there is no disruption to service delivery by the hospital
- The PDA has undertaken to pay out any outstanding fees, allowances and entitlements for the employees of the hospital that may be owed to them for maintaining services during the transition period.
The MRA says the early transfer is probably the first in the country associated with an operating mine. It demonstrates the stakeholders’ awareness that such infrastructure will need to be transferred prior to mine closure to ensure the orderly operation and sustainability of such significant public infrastructure.
The transfer of this health facility cements the Enga Provincial Government as a leading provincial authority on health matters.