The Western Provincial Health Authority (WPHA) clinical staff have petitioned for the removal of its current PHA management.
The petition outlines allegations of mismanagement, misappropriation and nepotism.
In a statement released to the media, Spokesperson and WPHA Health Workers President John Baira said, “We want to help restore good governance and confidence in the health care services.”
Baira said they have written to the Ministry for Health, and await a favourable answer.
“Otherwise it would result in a mass resignation of their staff within 7 days as of the notice,” he said.
The WPHA staff are accusing the WPHA management of poor leadership, and that management issues be rectified so that health care workers enjoy the work they do in serving the sick.
The interim board has discussed and petitioned on a long list of matters including:
- Lack of due processes in the appointment of directors;
- Lack of Financial Delegation and micromanagement;
- Alesco Payroll should be running from Daru;
- Lack of Capacity Building;
- Staff unpaid allowances and salaries;
- Declining and breakdown of clinical services;
- No level 5 Provincial Hospital for Western Province;
- No rural outreach and supervision by clinical team;
- High referral of patients to Port Moresby General Hospital with high cost;
- Continuous out-of-stock of essential drugs;
- No transport for doctors on call;
- No transport for staff and patient when ambulance breakdown;
- Increase death rates with morgue full;
The petition recommended for:
- Suspension of CEO and the management;
- Immediate appointment of an acting administration as caretaker and;
- Start a comprehensive investigation on the administration and its governance.
Baira said the core business of the patient care must be refocused and restored.
“There are serious problems. The result is total disarray demoralization of declining service delivery in the Western Province. This is actually running down our patience and we are opting to take up strike actions,” he said.