PETER S KINJAP
A SHORTAGE of drugs and medical kits in public hospitals and clinics is life threatening, according to opposition leader Don Polye.
And Mr Polye has said that his fellow citizens must take extra care of themselves.
“Prevention is better than cure. Medical fees at private hospitals are very costly. Our common people cannot afford them,” he said.
Polye said his officers had conducted research into most of the public hospitals and clinics in PNG.
He said most public hospitals and clinics faced shortages of blood bags, test kits and other medical kits.
Polye said such a shortage of medicines in public health facilities had never been experienced before, claiming that it was due to the O’Neill government’s lack of fiscal discipline and economic mismanagement.
He said the ‘free-health care policy’ was a populist and false promise to make O’Neill look good, describing it as failed and not genuine.
“When we are in government, we will build four regional referral hospitals in each of the regions,” Polye said.
“We will encourage training of more specialised community health workers and doctors with improved working conditions to improve the health worker-to-patient ratio in the country.”
He called on the prime minister to admit the problem and mobilise resources to address it.