By Tokana Hasavi Jnr – EM TV, Port Moresby
Health Minister Michael Malabag has urged POM General Hospital Chief Executive Officer Grant Muddle to clean up the health hazards behind the hospital.
The deplorable sewerage system and uncollected rubbish between the hospital and UPNG’s Medical School are yet to be rectified.
The perennial neglect of the hazards stems from the lack of responsibility between the administrations of UPNG and the hospital.
But Health Minister Michael Malabag says it’s time for the hospital’s CEO to take ownership.
“We can’t have the hospital’s visitors or patients bear witness to such hazards – I leave that to the Hospital’s CEO, Grant Muddle to handle,” said Malabag.
Poor housing for hospital staff also exists within the proximity of the health hazards.
“The condemned houses that are currently occupied by hospital staff will be demolished and illegal residents will be asked to vacate the land for development of new staff accommodation,” explained the Health Minister.
The conditions in which they live are as bad as the neglected waste.
According to UPNG’s Physical Facilities Management, the main cause of waste water spillage is a rundown lavatory system that was constructed in 1992 but has received no maintenance since.
Manager of the NCDC Waste Management Joshua Sam says the UPNG and POM Gen administrations need to stop playing the blame game.
“Contact us and we’ll collect the rubbish and establish who should be responsible for the upkeep of rubbish collection in the future,” Sam said.
Sam also said he will get his team to clean up the area and ensure the solid waste is collected tomorrow.
But the question of who will the fix the deplorable sewerage system behind the Nation’s Capital’s General Hospital remains.
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