PMGH Positive For Health Independence

Port Moresby General Hospital chief executive officer Dr. Paki Molumi says the country's largest hospital is working towards achieving health independence in four years' time when the country turns 50.

Dr. Molumi made the statement when speaking at an early Independence Anniversary celebration recently hosted at the hospital.

He said while the country reflects on 46 years of political independence, Port Moresby General Hospital should also reflect on how far it has progressed during this time as healthcare providers.

Dr. Molumi reflected on his 10-years working as an Ear-Neck-Throat (ENT) surgeon prior to his appointment as the hospital's CEO and said a bulk of his tasks included writing referrals for patients to seek further treatment overseas.

He said patients who were able to seek further treatment went overseas but for those patients who could not, he said it was like "go home and die".

"When we reach 50, let's aim towards being health independent. We have to build the infrastructure so that we don't need to go overseas," said Dr. Molumi.

"We have a lot of work to do and we will need the support from everyone to provide the specialized services in this country so that we don't have to travel overseas."

Some of the ways that PMGH is embarking on to achieve health independence is by working together with its supporters, non-governmental organizations and corporate partners like Kumul Petroleum Holdings Limited that has been instrumental in getting the hospital's cardiac program

"Now, we are doing both cardiac and brain stenting. We never thought we would be doing stenting sooner but it’s happening. We got the capabilities and the people.

“We need a little push in terms of providing the infrastructure and medical equipment so that we can deliver specialized healthcare to our people," he explained.

So far, over 90 angiograms and 15 stents have been performed on patients and the hospital has ordered more stents, which are on the way for patients who are on the waiting list.

Construction of the Cancer Centre is progressing well while five radiation therapists have been sent abroad to study at the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka. They will be a part of the team that will drive cancer services at the hospital at the Cancer Centre.

Moreover, a curriculum in clinical oncology that was developed by consultant oncologists Dr. Karthik Periyasamy and Dr. Priya Baskaran Shanmuga and the School of Medicine and Health Science will be rolled out to train the cancer services manpower.

"Online Nursing Oncology training commenced with our nurses undergoing training so that once the infrastructure is complete and equipped. We will have the manpower in place to provide cancer services and train more workforce for this country. The same can be replicated to other regions of the country," Dr. Molumi said.

He added that PMGH is also working in partnership with the PNG Kidney Foundation to set up a dialysis centre at the hospital and then later progress into establishing a kidney transplant program so that patients can be treated in-country.

"We will be able to implement these plans with support from the Government of Papua New Guinea and partners in the next four years so we can become health independent rather than depending on another country or sending our people overseas to seek treatment," attested Dr. Molumi.

Author: 
Press Release