Under the National Health Plan 2021-2030, Port Moresby General Hospital is now the National Specialist Referral and Teaching Hospital aligning with the School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) to train all categories of health workers in the country.
The PMGH Board representative Mr Luke Liria said the PMGH Corporate Plan 2022 – 2024 is aligned to the National Health Plan 2021 – 2030 and that the Board is ready to implement the National Health Plan 2021-2030 specifically the:
Key Result Area 3: Increasing Access to Affordable Health Services; and
Key Result Area 5: Strengthening Health System.
“The Port Moresby General Hospital requires the support from the Government in facilitating the key enablers that will ensure Port Moresby General Hospital delivers the Key Results Areas 3 & 5 of the National Health Plan,” Mr. Liria said during the recent visit by the Minister for Health & HIV/AIDS Hon. Dr Lino Tom and Shadow Minister for Health Hon. Elias Kapavore to the hospital.
The three key enablers include;
The enabling legislation – the Specialist Hospital Bill;
The establishment of the National Capital District Provincial Health Authority (NCDPHA) hospital to offload primary and secondary health care; and
Financing and funding of clinical services and Infrastructure Master Plan which PMGH is currently preparing.
Mr. Liria emphasized, “Port Moresby General Hospital’s ultimate goal is to become the National Referral & Teaching Hospital, that is, to provide all the categories of specialist healthcare so citizens will not need to raise money and travel overseas and also stress of raising that funds.”
“Train all the categories of health workers for the country to fill the huge manpower gap and drive medical tourism.”
He added that the Kumul Petroleum National Heart Centre, supported by the national oil company Kumul Petroleum Holdings Limited (KPHL), is producing results with over 700 angiograms and stenting done so far which is saving lives and saving the country over K100 million.
“A stroke reversal program will be in place. A theatre complex is planned which will enable our doctors to perform cardiac surgery and all complex surgeries including cancer surgery, support the upcoming Cancer Centre and kidney transplant surgery which is planned for 2024,” said Mr Liria.
The visit to the PMGH by the Minister and Shadow Minister for Health and HIV/AIDS that took place on Tuesday, 11th of October, 2022 was for the purpose of touring the National Heart Centre and the Cancer Centre project.
The KPHL managing director Mr Wapu Sonk shared a similar sentiment share by those who were present that it was good to see Minister Tom and Minister Kapavore – representatives from both sides of the House of Parliament – come together to prioritize the health of our people.
“And it’s good to see that you twos are united and we’ve done the walk to see the progress of the investment that Kumul Petroleum and the government have all jointly put together in improving our health services especially special health care for our people of Papua New Guinea,” said Mr Sonk.
Mr. Sonk affirmed that since 2019, KPHL has been working with the hospital and has made a commitment of K75 million, of which K50 million is earmarked for the PMGH for the National Heart Centre, a further K10 million to the Cancer Centre Project and K15 million to ANGAU Hospital in Lae for its Cancer Centre.
“We are very proud to be associated with Port Moresby General Hospital and ANGAU and very proud to see the outcome in a short space of time since we signed the MOU in 2019 to now. We’ve just walked through the Cardiac facility on the other side and now the construction of the Cancer Centre here and similar sort of progress is also happening in Lae in ANGAU Hospital,” said Mr. Sonk.
“We will continue to support the hospital. We have a 5-year agreement in place and as the national oil company we’ll be here to support your programs and other big programs that save our peoples’ health.”
Source: Port Moresby General Hospital FB Page