Emergency Ward

The PNG Defence Force has retracted its earlier statement saying preliminary investigation revealed that the soldier alleged to have caused willful damages to medical equipment in the PMGH Emergency Ward, was a patient there. He was referred to PMGH A&E Department on the afternoon of Thursday 15 December. 

While they are awaiting a report from PMGH on circumstances surrounding the incident, hospital CEO Dr Paki Molumi said the incident occurred on the said date (15 December), between 3:15pm and 3:30pm.

A statement released by the PNGDF this morning stated, “The headquarters PNG Defence Force has been made aware of the incident involving drunk soldiers at the Port Moresby General Hospital on Sunday.

“The Chief of Defence Force has ordered an urgent investigation into this matter and to ensure those involved are dealt with under the Code of Military Discipline and appropriate actions taken to ensure no repetition of such ill-discipline behavior occurs again.”

Hospital CEO Dr Paki Molumi reported that three monitors in the Emergency Ward are now broken, leaving the hospital with an unnecessary and unbudgeted cost.

According to Dr Molumi, the soldiers, believed to be under the influence of liquor stormed the emergency ward with a colleague who had been involved in an accident. They allegedly terrorised doctors and nurses when their demands that their colleague be attended to, was not met immediately.