ENBPHA SUCCESSFULLY RECRUITS 300 NEW STAFF

CAPTION: HR screening process of the ENBPHA recruitment drive. INSET: ENBPHA CEO Dr Ako Yap

BY WASITA ROYAL

THE East New Britain Provincial Health Authority (ENB PHA) has successfully filled 300 new positions, significantly alleviating the manpower shortage that has plagued the province’s health system.

Chief Executive Officer Dr. Ako Yap announced the milestone to staff this week, confirming that the first phase of a major restructure has concluded. The recruitment drive, which attracted a staggering 13,000 applicants, focused on strengthening the health workforce in rural areas and the province’s two main hospitals.

“The response was overwhelming,” Dr. Yap stated. “With 13,000 applications for just 300 positions, we were able to select highly qualified candidates to fill both existing vacancies and these newly created roles. This immediately addresses our critical Human Resource issues.”

The ENB PHA has secured a budget for 2026 to recruit an additional 200 staff members. Once this second phase is complete, the total workforce will rise from 981 to approximately 1,700 employees. The distribution of staff is strategically planned to ensure services reach the province’s population centers, with a focus on strengthening the front lines of care. Under the new structure, only ten percent of the workforce will be based at the PHA headquarters, while a further twenty percent will serve in urban and semi-urban centers, including St Mary’s Vunapope and Rabaul Provincial Hospital. The vast majority, a full seventy percent of all staff, will be stationed at rural health facilities, including health centres, community health posts, and aid posts.

“We are placing the bulk of our workforce where the bulk of our population lives. This allows us to deliver health services at their doorstep, eliminating the need for long-distance travel,” he emphasized.

This recruitment strategy has also benefited the new Pomio District Hospital, which now has a dedicated hospital manager and two Specialist Medical Officers on-site to oversee operations.

All recruitment processes for this current phase were finalized this month, February 2026.