Dr Sam Yockopua

Dr Yockopua, who is also the Secretary for the National Doctors Association, is highly supportive of improving coordinated prehospital care which is an extension of Emergency Department function and hospital-community interface.

He said it is disappointing that the Central Province Government still has not signed an agreement with St John Ambulance to properly fund the vital work in Central Province.

“We really need to grasp the current health situation in the country and the role emergency services play in saving lives,” said Dr Yockopua.

Now, chief of Emergency, Doctor Sam Yokopua, Department of Health, has warned that betelnut chewing can cause sudden cardiac death.

This awareness comes after seeing numerous sudden deaths at the Port Moresby General Hospital Emergency Department (ED), most with the history of chewing betelnut and suddenly collapsing.

While this may come as a shock to many, Dr Yokopua gives a medical explanation of this cause.

Dr Sam Yockopua, the medical controller of Hela and SHP Health Disaster Response, said the teams were inserted yesterday (March 7).

Each team comprises a senior medical officer in emergency medicine, 1 Australian specialist paramedic, 1 PNG paramedic, 1 specialist emergency nurse, 2 public health officers and 1 World Health Organization/UNICEF representative.

“They are working with management and team on the ground, assisting and gathering accurate information as much as possible,” stated Dr Yockopua in his NDoH insertion update.

The checks will be conducted by doctors who are members of the PNG Emergency Medicine fraternity attached to Emergency Departments, in particular at the Port Moresby General and Gerehu hospitals in Port Moresby.

The free medical checks are also applicable to Angau, Modilon, Mt. Hagen and Popondetta hospitals where other specialists are based and located.

Chief - Emergency Medicine, Sam Yockopua, says this is their community service to the support received from the community.

A paramedic is a person trained to give emergency medical care to people who are seriously ill with the aim of stabilizing them before they are taken to hospital.

Dr Sam Yockopua says expanded paramedic programs will likely be the catalyst for improved patient and population health outcomes in the Pacific Region.

Yockopua is the Chief Emergency Medicine at the Port Moresby General Hospital.

Based at the emergency unit, he is at the receiving end and thus stresses on the “crucial role” of a paramedic.

National Doctors Association Secretary, Dr Sam Yockopua, stated that NDA in the last 2 weeks has been trying to come to terms with a brutally assaulted doctor.

He said a very senior doctor who has contributed immensely to PNG Defence Force, the PNG Sports Federation, PNG Olympic Committee Medical key person, PNG Hunters main doctor, a strong doctor in the private sector, and a very senior well respected member of the medical fraternity, Dr. Gideon Kendino, was attacked and shot by criminal elements.

Dr Berry, a Resident Medical Officer (RMO) attached to the Obstetrics & Gynaecology Services, was attacked by drunken policemen without any form of reasoning. This was around 9.30-10pm on Wednesday, May 31.

As of 3pm last Wednesday (June 7), the National Doctors Association gave the RPNGC 48 hours to deal with the perpetrators. If no favourable response was received by Friday, June 9, at 3pm, then about 145 doctors based in POM and NCD will stand down from duty.

However, NDA secretary, Dr Sam Yockopua, said doctors will return to work.

This was the advice from Port Moresby General Hospital’s chief of emergency medicine, Dr Sam Yockopua, regarding the new K600 graduation fee.

“UPNG is robbing the students! It's daylight robbery,” Dr Yockopua, who is also involved in the training of medical students at the Taurama campus, told Loop PNG.

“They should not penalise the students for failures by UPNG or the Government.

“The students are completely innocent. This insanity must stop now.”

Dr Sam Yockopua, from the PMGH Emergency Department, said the sickest or the critically injured need to be taken as soon as possible to appropriate locations for intervention.

He told Loop PNG that on Saturday, February 11, the late victim was taken to a private hospital at about 10am before being sent to the PMGH Emergency Department at 11.30am.

“She succumbed to her injuries at 3.30pm,” he said.

NDA secretary Dr Sam Yockopua told Loop PNG that the decision was made today after a meeting with pilots, maritime workers and energy workers, as well as other concerned professionals.

“NDA will maintain the 21-day notice but our members throughout the country will be scaled down for emergencies only, until the outcome of the vote of no-confidence.

“Doctors will only attend to serious cases like ruptured spleens or surgeries. Other services like consultations will be shut down.