Former Prime Minister and Leader of Peoples National Congress Party, Peter O'Neill has expressed his concerned over the country's collapsing public health system, because of a lack of government leadership and proper funding for operations.
The former Prime Minister and Member for Ialibu-Pangia Peter O'Neill has issued a statement saying the closure or scaling down of vital health services by many hospitals around the country is unacceptable when we are now facing a COVID-19 emergency.
He claims that the COVID-19 pandemic has been mismanaged from day one, despite the millions in equipment and funding coming in.
He said the health sector is not coping, especially with health workers being left to bear the brunt of community transmission and public frustration, with insufficient testing being done behind medical facilities that lack the basic equipment or medicines.
O’Neill said both Government and public service leadership need to step up.
Meantime, O'Neill thanked the Australian Government and Australian Opposition for their quick assistance and intervention.
He said the PNG Government needs take this seriously, as positive cases increase, jobs are being lost again, and businesses are losing profit.
Meantime, Prime Minister James Marape received the 8,000 AstraZeneca vaccines on Tuesday, supplied by the Australian Government.