By MATTHEW VARI
THE National Doctor Association (NDA) is to take legal actions to block the passing of the Port Moresby General Hospital Authority Act 2013.
This follows claims by the NDA at a meeting held on Friday on the alleged practice by the management and board of the nation’s largest hospital of the draft hospital authority law.
NDA Secretary Dr Sam Yockopua said that various actions taken by the hospital management were done under the powers of the not yet passed law.
He said that despite the welcomed improvements currently taking place at the hospital and its facilities- he pointed out that the focus has been diverted away from patient care.
“We are seeing some dynamic changes in the hospital in terms of the facelift, and the money that has been pumped into the infrastructure changes,” Dr Yockopua said.
“A lot of the things are happening we are happy with, but the core business which is the patient care seems to be diluted.”
“Because the immediate resources to do with patient care have not been provided effectively and the welfare of the workers have not been taken care of and they are being bullied.”
He said that the management was using illegal means under the pretext of the hospital authority act, which is illegal and is still pending and has not been passed by parliament yet.
Issues highlighted by the NDA claim of:
· Creating of new positions not recognized under the current Public Hospital management Act 1994.
· Composition of key management positions given to a particular organization affiliated with the hospital.
· Contractual irregularities
· Excessive security contract payments made at the expense of vital treatment equipment that have not been purchased.
· The segregation of the University Of Papua New Guinea School Of Medicine.
“We give prescriptions to our patients and do not have everything here because money has been diverted to non-core services,” the NDA Secretary said.
“We have been going the wrong way and we have sat on this for nine months in total, so we are now going to take necessary actions to put them into perspective that what they are doing is illegal and we will engage our lawyers and if necessary take industrial action.”
The NDA will consult their lawyers, Department of Personnel Management, and Department of Health this week on necessary steps to address their concerns before their member also renew their contracts with the hospital.
“We do not want the corporatization of the nation’s only referral and teaching hospital,” he said.
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