Wingti lauds health delivery in WHP

WESTERN Highlands Governor Paias Wingti has heaped praises on the health sector in his province, saying it was fulfilling his dreams to see health services reach all corners of the province.
Mr Wingti said what was happening in the province in terms of health service delivery under the new Provincial Health Authority concept would change the whole country.
The former prime minister said he was proud that the creation of hospital boards which he had initiated while holding the country’s top post had delivered good results for the health sector.
But he said for this to happen there had to be good leadership and management in place and he was proud that the Western Highlands Provincial Health Authority (WHPHA) was in capable hands and was delivering what the people needed.
Mr Wingti echoed these sentiments in Mt Hagen this week while being briefed on the status of health in the Western Highlands and Jiwaka provinces by the executive management of the WHPHA led by the Chief Executive Officer Dr James Kintwa.
The Governor had attended two health briefings – one at the PHA office last Thursday, accompanied by the Member for Dei MP Wesley Nukundi, and the other yesterday at the Highlander Hotel, accompanied by Member for Mul/Baiyer Koi Trappe and Member for Anglimp/South Wahgi Joe Koim.
Mr Wingti invited his Open MPs to accompany him for the briefings to give them an opportunity to know what was happening in health services in the two provinces and what they could do to assist the WHPHA improve these services in their respective electorates.
The Open MPs said health was one of the major concerns of their respective electorates and they were committed and willing to work in partnership with the WHPHA to deliver improved health services to their people.
Dr Kintwa’s briefing was to provide an update on the implementation of PHA, provide information on planned activities in the respective districts, and seek the MPs support to partner with the WHPHA and other donor agencies to do infrastructure work in their districts.
He told them that 60 percent of health services in the two provinces were run by churches but the salaries of church health workers were low and needed to be increased to allow them to be on equal pay with those in government health institutions in order to stop them from looking for greener pastures.
He also told the MPs that the Kina for Kina Policy under the Health Services Agreement with AusAID, provided significant opportunities for the provincial government and the MPs to do infrastructure work in their districts and they should capitalise on it to show they were doing something for their people.