Pascoe Kase

Secretary Kase said the 2 psychiatry medicines that were short in supplies have been sorted with more to be delivered tomorrow.

Kase also said the department of health has also issued Purchase Orders to suppliers who are now delivering drugs to Area Medical Stores and hospitals.

Hospitals have been advised to place their orders with their respective regional Area Medical Stores.

(File picture)

The statement by the Secretary of Health, Pascoe Kase comes after recent media reports concerning proposals to charge high fees for snakebite treatments.

Hospital fees are set under the Hospital Charges Regulations and no hospital has the power to set fee.

Hospitals can only recommend fee to the Minister for Health who then seeks approval through the National Executive Council.

Kase said once approved, hospitals must implement the approved scheduled fees.

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In a statement, Secretary Pascoe Kase, responding to the news that the radiation oncologist had passed away on July 4 at the ANGAU Memorial General Hospital in Lae.

The Secretary went on to say: “Dr Niblett was the foundation of the establishment of radiation oncology services in Papua New Guinea, and committed a large part of the last 40 years in providing his services treating cancer patients from the Cancer Centre in Lae.

“Papua New Guinea was indeed fortunate to have benefitted from his valuable contribution to the community and the health system.”

He said with very valuable assistance of the Government, major medical supply companies in Papua New Guinea and the Department’s business partners at the airlines have agreed to work together to provide the medical supply.

Kase noted that the Chief Secretary had provided considerable assistance through his personal strength and understanding of the issues involved.

He went on to say that the central agencies had worked to free up access to resources which allowed for faster payments to contractors.

They will identify available funds and support the services to approach local pharmacies and suppliers to purchase items which are in short supply.

Secretary for Health, Pascoe Kase, said there should be no reason for patients to purchase supplies that should be available directly to the health system.

Kase reiterated his comments from last week stating that this was a complex issue in the rapidly growing country, with understandably increasing expectations and standards.

In a statement, Health Secretary Pascoe Kase said over 50 percent of teenagers are regular smokers.

“According to the Global Youth Survey conducted in PNG in 2016, 53 percent of young people (age 13-15) are regular smokers,” Kase said.

He said tobacco use is a major health risk, and leads to cancers, heart disease, chronic respiratory illness, diabetes and stroke in adults.         

“It is estimated that 80 percent of premature deaths are attributed to tobacco use in low to middle income countries. This relates directly to PNG,” Kase said.

All should be following the intent of the Government’s free healthcare policy.

This was made clear by the Secretary of the Health Department, Pascoe Kase.

In a statement, Kase says while the policy does allow for charging a reduced rate for specialist services, these should be the exception rather than the rule in public hospitals.

He made this statement in response to an article published in one of the local dailies which quoted an anonymous source claiming that Modilon General Hospital in Madang was charging for the provision of health care.

Kase said they have had challenges with the shortage of some medical supply and drugs.

“The shortages are not system wide but have been keenly felt by some facilities while others have adequate supplies,” he said.

“We are aware that the existence of shortages falls short of community standards and we are working hard to address the problem.”

He said directions have been issued for a series of coordinated actions to meet the most urgent needs and to propose system reforms to address the underlying causes of drug supply shortages at multiple levels of the system.

This was in relation to the restoration of normal governance at Western Highlands Provincial Health Authority of which NDA stated its wish to challenge the reinstatement of the Board of WHPHA.

The decision was taken after two independent inquiries exhaustively considered the complaints and claims of some staff members; based on the outcomes of those investigations and on the recommendations of the WHPHA Independent Caretaker Board, which served for six months; and was implemented only after the Caretaker Board’s recommendations were endorsed by the National Executive Council.