The Constitutional and Law Reform Commission (CLRC) has successfully completed its provincial stakeholder consultations in East Sepik Province, marking a vital milestone in its ongoing nationwide review of the Provincial Health Authorities (PHA) Act 2007.

The review, formalised under Terms of Reference No. 28 (TOR 28), is a comprehensive evaluation of the legislative and administrative frameworks dictating healthcare accessibility and delivery across Papua New Guinea. The scope of TOR 28 targets critical areas of the healthcare ecosystem, including:

• The operational condition of health facilities and the reliability of medical supplies.
• Personnel staffing, healthcare funding structures, and institutional governance.
• Strict administrative accountability and systematic coordination between national, provincial, and district bodies.

During the two-day exercise in East Sepik, the CLRC delegation convened separate consultations with the Provincial Administration and the East Sepik Provincial Health Authority (ESPHA), the latter led by Chief Executive Officer Mathew Kaluvia.

While deliberating on the core issues outlined in the TOR 28 Issues Paper, local stakeholders raised pivotal systemic challenges facing the province. Key issues brought forward included the urgent requirement for modern PHA statistical data, strict statutory penalties for compliance reporting failures, and the necessity to insulate PHA operations from political interference.

Acting East Sepik Provincial Administrator Alphonse Kami welcomed the CLRC team, describing the legislative review as highly timely. He noted that since the transition of health services from the Provincial Administration to the newly established East Sepik PHA in 2018, identifying practical bottlenecks remains critical to maximizing healthcare performance.

The CLRC clarified that the evidence and testimonies gathered from provincial stakeholders are fundamental to detecting legal gaps and designing robust reform proposals. The Commission emphasized that the current Issues Paper serves as an objective baseline for public discourse, rather than its final policy position.

To ensure legislative cohesion, the CLRC’s review under TOR 28 extends beyond the PHA Act 2007 to cross-examine related statutes, including the Provincial Health Administration Act 2007, National Health Administration Act 1997, Public Hospitals Act 1994, Medical Registration Act 1980, and the Public Finances (Management) Act 1995.

With successful consultations already wrapped up in Eastern Highlands, Morobe, Western, New Ireland, and Western Highlands, the CLRC is scheduled to deploy its review teams to Manus Province and the National Capital District next. The data gathered across these regions will directly shape final policy recommendations aimed at reinforcing accountability, clarifying institutional roles, and improving healthcare delivery for all citizens.