The Morobe Provincial Health Authority is looking at relocating Lae’s COVID-19 patients to the ANGAU Memorial Provincial Hospital.
Chief executive officer, Dr Kipas Binga, said they are looking at preparing the new TB ward at ANGAU for COVID-19 patients.
In spite of concerns about the risk that other patients and residents would be exposed to, Dr Binga said other hospitals in the country are looking after their COVID-19 patients on campus.
“Us, we were doing it outside because of the redevelopment but I believe we should have it on campus,” he stated.
“In the weeks ahead, we might be moving the patients from the current setup back to the hospital just so it’s easier to look after everyone.
“We don’t have a lot of staff. Whatever little we have, we try to put ourselves in a good position that we can actually offer the best that we can.”
Dr Binga said TB patients will be moved to another medical ward. ANGAU currently has two and management is looking to free up one of them for the less than 15 TB patients.
“The medical ward is a 26-bed ward and the TB ward is a 26-bed ward as well. So if you move them from down there (stadium), at least you’ll have 26 beds that are linked to oxygen and it’s a bit easier to manage – at least for now – until if there is any spillover then we’ll still keep the stadium to try and use that.”