Papua New Guinea cannot continue to send heart patients seeking medical treatment overseas.
Prime Minister James Marape made these remarks recently when witnessing the historical first-ever stenting procedure at the Port Moresby General Hospital (PMGH).
Stenting is a treatment where a small mesh tube is placed in a person’s blood vessel to widen it, and allow for efficient blood flow, preventing him/her from dying of heart attack.
PMGH has become the first public hospital in the country to carry out invasive cardiac cauterization to diagnose and treat coronary heart diseases.
The Health Minister Jelta Wong, Kumul Petroleum Holdings (KPHL) Managing Director Wapu Sonk, Health Secretary Dr Osborne Liko and PMGH Chief Executive Officer, Dr Paki Molumi were present to witness the historic event.
It is a culmination of the collaborative efforts of the Ministry of Health and PMGH, with funding support from KPHL for K10 million over five years, with an overall project value of K50 million.
PMGH will no longer wait for overseas volunteers to come and perform these procedures at scheduled times of the year as it now has the capacity to perform the procedures all-year round when needed by patients.
“We cannot export our patients elsewhere. In fact, we can import patients into our country, as well as serve our country’s needs in the health sector.
“Today, I am happy, because it is a small step in the right direction,” PM Marape said.
He said the PMGH had progressed from angiography procedures, performed by visiting interventional cardiologists, to stenting.