AID withdrawal concerns

Governor Juffa is concerned about Aid withdrawal

The Governor for Oro has urged the Prime Minister to intervene and discuss the withdrawal of aid funds from Australia earmarked for Papua New Guinea. He made reference to the $AUD 38 million aid money for medical supply program that the Government of Australia threatens to withdraw. Governor Garry Juffa claims the consequences of the withdrawal would be certain death for many innocent Papua New Guineans especially in remote parts of the country. “We certainly want to demonstrate our sovereignty as an independent nation however the fact remains that health care in Papua New Guinea is far from satisfactory. Until we are able to have an effective and efficient, transparent health care system in place then we can stand up on our own feet. In fact, in remote and rural parts of Papua New Guinea, many cannot access basic health care. The victims are the most vulnerable, infants, mothers and elderly. This is reality,” Mr Juffa said. Many of the support that Provinces get in terms of health care funding and logistics, training and so forth comes from the aid that Australia gives. To dismiss this would be inhumane. The health care system in PNG needs an overhaul. Aid posts and remote hospitals were not resourced with medicine, equipment or manpower. Substantial funds are overpaid in suspicious circumstances to numerous private companies to deliver drugs and equipment and this simply was not being done. People are dying from lack of basic health care because of corruption. He says in Oro Province people travel into Popondetta town for treatment because aid posts and hospitals in remote areas have no drugs. Nurses and health care workers in these remote areas are also refusing to work there. Many also refused to be posted to these areas. “The result is the death of our people,” Governor Juffa said. “Certainly Australia has a right to withdraw its funding and certainly PNG can claim to be able to take care of its own people but the reality is simply that this is not the case. We cannot afford to risk the lives of our people.” The Governor has asked that the tender granted for a local company to supply 100 percent medical kits be reviewed and selected be screened to ensure that it is credible and can source drugs that are acceptable for human use and can deliver in a timely manner otherwise the contract should be retendered and put through a strict procurement process. He warned that where human lives were concerned, the Government had a duty to ensure that the best services and goods were procured. The Oro Provincial Government meanwhile has taken over funding of the Anglicare AIDS Program in Oro and will continue to do so. The Governor thanks Australia for funding this and other programs in his province and said as time goes on and his Government is able to, it would eventually be able to take over funding of all programs in his province including the building of a Children’s and Mother’s Hospital in 2014 and a Training facility in Kokoda for Health workers.