During Question without Notice in Parliament, Member for Hiri-Koiari Keith Iduhu raised a series of questions in regard to the Connect PNG Program and directed it to the Prime Minister James Marape. Mr. Iduhu stated that the Government’s CONNECT PNG program, established under the Connect PNG (Implementation and Funding Arrangements) Act 2021, commits 5.6% of the annual national budget to infrastructure development, equating to over K1.1 billion annually from 2022 to 2027. He said in 2024 alone, the transport sector, including CONNECT PNG, received K2.059 billion, representing 21% of the total Capital Investment Budget. "Meanwhile, the health sector was allocated K1.7 billion for recurrent expenditure and an additional K661.7 million for capital investment, totaling approximately K2.36 billion. Despite this, the reality on the ground is alarming. Our health system remains critically underfunded, with patients turned away due to medicine shortages, lack of hospital beds, and inadequate medical equipment. It is widely known that health services in rural areas are collapsing, yet the Government has committed billions to building roads that many of our people may never use," he said. Mr. Iduhu added that last year, the National Department of Health faced enormous challenges. "In the 2023 budget, the Department requested K386 million but received only K236 million, leaving a K150 million shortfall over 12 months. By October, the situation had become critical. Funding shortages coupled with central bank delays in the approval of foreign exchange contributed to a visible shortage of medicines in nearly all health facilities. The country’s vaccine budget had also been cut by K20 million, forcing the Department to seek urgent funding support from its international partners," he said. Mr. Iduhu said the last publicly tendered contract for medical supplies was in 2019, raising concerns that procurement is now being handled in an ad hoc and non-transparent manner. " In 2022, the Prime Minister directed the Health Department to shift to direct procurement from WHO-sanctioned manufacturers, yet medicine shortages persist, and hospitals continue to struggle. My questions to the Prime Minister are: 1. How does the Government justify spending billions on roads under CONNECT PNG when hospitals lack basic medicines and rural clinics are closing due to lack of supplies and staff? 2. Is it true that the last publicly tendered medical supply contract was in 2019? If so, can the Prime Minister confirm whether we are operating on an ad hoc basis, and if so, what measures will be taken to immediately restore transparency and regular procurement processes? 3. The 2022 directive to procure medicines directly from WHO-approved manufacturers was meant to improve availability and quality. Given the ongoing shortages, does the Prime Minister concede that this approach has failed? If so, what alternative measures will the Government take to ensure essential medicines reach our hospitals and clinics? 4. Why is CONNECT PNG receiving guaranteed funding while the health sector is constantly in crisis mode, scraping for resources to keep hospitals running? 5. Finally, on the eve of the 2022 National General Elections, the good prime minister with the former governor for Central Province launched a billboard project at Bautauma for the Central Province Hospital. Can the good Prime Minister also confirm or advise the people of Central Province when this project will commence and if funding will be allocated at all in this term of parliament? And how much will be allocated. In the 2022-23 budgets, there was K50 million - none of it was released," he said. Mr. Iduhu said the only occasion he heard of Connect PNG funding being used for healthcare was the admission by the Works Minister that Connect PNG money was used for his urgent medical treatment.