The Southern Highlands Provincial Government and members of parliament fromthe eastern end ofthe province have been called to addressthe plight ofthe Ialibu Referral Hospital.
This call followsthe closure ofthe hospital after electricity supply had been cut due to non-payment of bills. The accumulated amount now stands at forty six thousand kina over five years.
Ialibu Hospitalerves between one hundred to one and fifty thousand people fromthe Ialibu Pangia, Kagua Erave and parts of Imbongu electorate.
The hospital’s been closed since Novermber last year due to outstanding electricity bills.
Coupled with that,the hospital does not have medical officers nor HEOs, no ambulances and it has withnessed a high number of vandalism sincethe power cut.
Mr Nimbo is calling for urgent intervention from concerned authorities includingthe local members.
Southern Highlands Governor William Powi confirmed allocating one hundred thousand kina to pay for the bills.
The hospital is currently operating from 8am to 4pm, serving minor cases. Mr Limu said most critically ill patients have been turned away including pregnant mthers.
Live vaccines worth thousands of kina have been destroyed becausethere is no power to keepthe refrigerators on to storethem. This is having an adverse impact onthe hospital’s immunisation program as all immunisation vaccines have been disposed.
Ruth Rungula, National EMTV News
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