East Sepik Governor Allan Bird has raised serious concerns over the K800 million price tag for the new Level 5 Specialist District Hospital to be built in Port Moresby’s Gerehu suburb. The groundbreaking ceremony for the hospital was held on Friday, October 4th, led by NCD Governor Powes Parkop, and attended by Prime Minister James Marape and Health Minister, Elias Kapavore. In a strongly worded statement, Bird questioned why the cost of the Gerehu hospital is so high compared to similar projects in other parts of Papua New Guinea, such as the Boram Level 5 Hospital in Wewak, East Sepik province. Bird, who oversaw the construction of Boram as the hospital board chair, revealed that it cost K210 million to complete, including state-of-the-art medical equipment and reliable infrastructure. “If Vamed, an internationally recognized medical service provider, can build a world-class level 5 facility in Wewak for K210 million, why does the one in Gerehu have to cost K800 million?” Bird asked. “I would think for K800 million, NCD, Central, and Gulf can all have a brand-new Level 5 hospital each." "Someone needs to come clean on these deals.” Bird further disclosed that he was “extremely alarmed” to learn that a consultant has been awarded K64 million just for the design and documentation contract for the proposed hospital. “As a former hospital chair who presided over the design and build of Sir Michael Somare Specialist Hospital Boram, I can say that K800 million is exorbitantly high." "Someone is definitely making a killing on the side,” he stated. The East Sepik Governor highlighted the comparison with Boram Hospital, explaining that it included all necessary equipment, two standby generators, and a 50, 000-liter water tank, as the hospital could not rely on utility companies. He also noted that Vamed provided four years of training for technicians to maintain the new equipment. Bird’s criticism did not stop at the costs. He raised broader concerns about the overall health infrastructure in the National Capital District (NCD) and surrounding areas. While acknowledging that NCD, Gulf, and Central provinces need Level 5 hospitals to alleviate the pressure on Port Moresby General Hospital, he questioned whether the health workforce is ready to staff these facilities. Bird pointed out that his own province, with several newly built hospitals, is still struggling to recruit enough doctors and medical staff due to funding limitations from the Treasury. He warned that the new hospital in Gerehu, projected to require around 400 staff, including 40 doctors, may face similar challenges. “Boram Hospital is still struggling to recruit staff because Treasury can only fund a certain number of positions each year,” Bird said. “Have we got enough doctors? Or do we build the facilities first and worry about the staff later?” In addition to staffing issues, Bird stressed the importance of reliable water and power supplies for hospitals to operate effectively, raising concerns about whether these have been adequately addressed in the planning for the new facility. The Governor also questioned whether the focus on building new, expensive hospitals is the best way to improve healthcare services in the capital. He suggested a more cost-effective approach would be to upgrade existing clinics in Port Moresby and Central Province for K5 million each, which could help reduce the burden on larger hospitals by providing care closer to people’s homes. “Our people need quality health services available close to them,” Bird emphasized. “We need to rethink how we are providing this service and ensure that we are following the National Health Plan.” Concluding his statement, Bird called for an investigation into why the Gerehu hospital’s costs are so much higher than similar facilities elsewhere in the country. “Someone should investigate this situation and tell the country why the same type of hospital can cost K210 million in a remote part of the country and K800 million in the capital,” he urged. Finally, Bird questioned whether the K64 million price tag for design, documentation, and supervision is reasonable, calling on the PNG Institute of Engineers to weigh in on the matter. “We can’t keep doing this to our taxpayers. Someone needs to properly justify how we are using taxpayer money."