Health sector

2024 health budget looks gloomy

“The breakdown of the K4.96 billion includes K387.8 million in medical supply procurement and distribution, K117.7 million in commodity consumables including TB, Malaria and vaccines and the cost of implementing the national health plan is estimated at K4.3 billion.

However, Health Secretary Dr Osborne Liko said the Treasury Department has indicated that the government can only appropriate up to K1.7 billion in the 2024 budget.

 “When we compare the 2024 budget, we face a shortfall of K3.26 billion,” Dr Liko said.

Gov’t to continue to support Health sector

Treasurer, Ian Ling-Stuckey when delivering the 2022 National Budget last Thursday, also highlighted that the Government will continue to support public health including environmental health, good Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WaSH) practices and the promotion of nutrition initiatives and the Healthy Island Concept or Smart Community Concept.

 

He said health is a key determinant of economic growth and is essential to the country’s development agenda.

 

2022 Budget Focuses On Health

It is estimated that 6000 extra nurses from the Catholic and Church Health Service system will be added onto the Alesco payroll giving them more certainty and higher levels of pay.

The education sector has also increased from K1095 million to K1470 million, an increase of 34 percent.

This includes K632 million for full government tuition-fee subsidies making 2022 the highest level of support ever provided.

The 2022 Budget invests more in community services with an increase in funding by 52percent, up from K102 million to K156 million.

Giving back to PNG health

Twenty-three PNG health professionals from 11 provinces completed the 12-week Graduate Certificate in Health Economics in late 2019. The course was delivered at Griffith University in Australia. 

The graduates – over half of them women – are now applying their skills in support of health capacity building, health system investment and the PNG-Australia Partnership.

Among the graduates is Acting Deputy Director of Public Health at New Ireland Provincial Health Authority, Martha Hilenungu Salihombo. 

Health sector gets K1.5b in 2018

From the total Budget, K1b is allocated for operational and K461.7m for capital expenditures while K266.1m has been allocated for medical supplies, procurement and distribution processes.

Handing down the 2018 Budget today, Treasurer Charles Abel said the Government remains focused on delivering an efficient and effective health system that achieves internationally acceptable standards of health services that are accessible by people across the country.

K900 million loan for Health sector

This was revealed by Secretary for Treasury, Dairi Vele yesterday in Port Moresby during the National Parliament Induction Programme.

Vele announced this when questioned by East Sepik Governor, Allan Bird, why over the last five years there was a significant increase in borrowing while many hospitals were not upgraded.

Bird questioned this after Vele said in his presentation to members of Parliament that health was one of the priority areas justifying the borrowing.

“My question is where were those borrowings expanded? Bird asked.

NFA committed to assisting the health sector

Under its corporate social responsibility, NFA has provided funding assistance towards acquisition of basic lifesaving medical equipment for a number of hospitals in PNG.

There’re two forms of assistance that NFA provides for the health services in PNG as part of its corporate social obligations.

NFA does procurement of major medical equipment that are essential in major referral hospitals such as the one MRI scanner launched today at the Port Moresby General Hospital.

Government improving health sector: Prime Minister

“Health is a strong foundation for our government, when we took government four years ago the health system in the country was on the verge of collapsed, in fact it was in ICU itself.

“Truly for the first time we are funding are national health development plan, we have this 10 year development plan in the country but have never funded it (by past governments).

Health unions plan to support students

NDA secretary Dr Sam Yockopua, who is also the Port Moresby General Hospital’s accident and emergency department chief, told Loop PNG that they will not allow UPNG’s School of Medicine & Health Sciences (SMHS) to shut down.

“The SMHS is the only ‘factory’ that produces doctors and dentists in the country. There is no other university.

“The output of doctors’ production is about 40 per year. PNG needs about 200-300 per year to meet the demand. So that number 40 is crucial for us the medical fraternity.”