MOROBE FACES CHALLENGES IN HEALTH DELIVERY

By Martha LOUISE, Lae

MOROBE Provincial Health Authority (PHA), Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Kipas Binga, recently highlighted major issues affecting healthcare delivery across the province.

Many rural health posts have been closed due to poor facilities and staff shortages, and out of 1,887 approved health jobs, 860 remain unfilled.

To address this, MPHA plans to advertise 400 positions, focusing on Angau Hospital and district health services.

Since 2019, Morobe PHA has not received health grants from the national government. The provincial government has stepped in with K5 million annually to keep operations running.

Dr. Binga emphasized partnerships with District Development Authorities (DDAs) to improve health facilities through shared resources and agreements.

He also noted that rural health workers face communication issues with their communities, impacting service delivery.

Medical supplies are now steady, thanks to the reopening of the area medical store, which had been destroyed.

Dr. Binga urged for more funding and teamwork to improve healthcare for all Morobeans. “We must ensure resources reach the grassroots level,” he said.

Morobe PHA is committed to solving these challenges and improving health services in the province