The Port Moresby General Hospital just confirmed three COVID-19 deaths in the last 24 hours.
This is following the increase of positivity cases from 33% on the 27th of September 2021 to 70% as of today.
Chief Executive officer of the hospital, Dr Paki Molumi confirmed that there are currently 92 COVID-19 patients admitted at the hospital.
“This means that in every 10 patients with cough, flu, running nose and fever who have been tested for COVID-19, seven of these patients tested positive to COVID-19.”
“Our 19-bed isolation ward is full and we’ve opened up another medical ward to cater for the increasing numbers.” said Dr Molumi.
He said they will move some of the patients over to the Nightingale Taurama Aquatic Centre during the two weeks of scale down of operations in order to free up some space for normal services at the hospital.
“In the coming days, we will improve the capacity at the Nightingale Taurama Aquatic Centre to take on moderate cases so that PMGH can be freed up and return to normal to provide other services after the two weeks of scale down.”
Meanwhile the hospital management is recruiting for short term contract health workers that can really assist with the increasing number of COVID-19 patients.
“We need 30 nurses and 10 doctors for Short term Contract.”
Dr Molumi said they will be recruiting from the different divisions and departments within the hospital to make up the number of doctors and nurses needed.
An internal Memo was issued this week by the CEO Dr Molumi to all the divisions in the hospital for staff to submit their names.