by Delly Bagu – EM TV, Port Moresby
Public-private partnerships have reached new heights of national significance in health service delivery.
The launch of Pacific International Hospital’s (PIH) new site at Three Mile Hill is proof of this partnership.
The hospital will have Papua New Guinea’s first catheterisation laboratory, and have heart surgery available all year round. This will hopefully cut down the number of Papua New Guineans travelling overseas for treatment.
The launch of the hospital was attended by high profile guests including Prime Minister Peter O&rsquO’Neill, Health Minister Michael Malabag, Minister for Public Enterprises Ben Micah and members of the Diplomatic Corp.
Other important stakeholders included heads of the Independent Public Business Corporation (IPBC), Motor Vehicle Insurance Limited (MVIL), Mineral Resources Development Company (MRDC) and others from the business sector and medical professionals.
It was an elaborate event that illustrated the determination and achievement of public-private partnerships in providing health services in Papua New Guinea.
PIH Chief Executive Officer Dr Amyna Sultan said the hospital is a first in many medical services: Papua New Guinea’s first sophisticated catheterisation laboratory for heart surgery and the first Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanner for brain and spine scans.
“PNG’s first MRI scanner is here, that will allow more sophisticated neurological diagnoses and more advanced neurosurgical care,” Dr Amyna Sultan said.
Mr O&rsquO’Neill said such medical services were only possible through public-private partnerships like this one.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=9lWBCEI4bI8%3Ffeature%3Doembed%26wmode%3Dopaque%26showinfo%3D0%26showsearch%3D0%26rel%3D0
