The president of the National Doctors Association is urging Mendi hospital doctors to be safety conscious following yesterday’s unrest.
Dr James Naipao is urging his colleagues to stay indoors and keep their mobile phones charged and on, as it is important to communicate amongst themselves, besides briefing NDA.
“Keep calm and get police contacts on the ground. Not everyone in Mendi is involved in this one,” stated Dr Naipao.
“Your management must have an emergency evacuation plan in place immediately.
“This civil unrest is highly politically motivated.”
The NDA president labelled yesterday’s destruction and burning as a ‘very, very sad day for PNG’.
“A symbol of our iconic identity that got burnt by our very own people tells us of so many things that this country has not got it right,” he said.
“All the people and leaders of various institutions and politics must know this; Leadership belongs to people or institutions. It does not belong to any particular people, colour, race, tribe or regions.
“Service in leadership must not be isolated but for the mass. Leadership must not be for the elite but for the mass.
“Leadership is not creating wealth for oneself but for the mass.
Leadership is not about selfishness. Leadership is not about greediness.
“Leadership is about protection. Leadership is not about destruction. Leadership is about honesty.”
Dr Naipao said creating your own empire out of a chair you occupy and not in the interest of the institution and its own people is poor leadership.
Mendi reacted when the National Court dismissed Joseph Kobol’s petition disputing William Powi’s declaration of 27 September, 2017, as the Southern Highlands Governor.
Early yesterday afternoon, a group of angry locals, alleged to be supporters of Kobol, attacked an aircraft belonging to Air Niugini.
Reports stated that the tyres and propellers to the Dash 8 sustained some damage after which the aircraft was then set on fire, including Governor Powi’s house in North Kagua.
(Dr James Naipao filepic)