PNG: Call for move from foreign aid funding for health
Updated
Papua New Guinea 's health sector depends heavily on foreign aid to provide basic health services to its six million people. Australia provides a bigger portion funds through AusAid to prevent the spread of the Hiv/Aids and train health workers. P-N-G's Health Secretary, Doctor Clement Malau says he wants the country's dependence changed and donor funded programs that provide basic health care for people.
Presenter: Firmin Nanol
Speakers: Doctor Clement Malau, PNG Health Secretary
NANOL: P-N-G's Health Secretary Dr Clement Malau's says past PNG governments had failed to understand the people's basic health care needs.
He says senior health officials do not communicate with rural health workers in remote clinics and hospitals about what they lack to provide basic health care to the people.
Dr Malaus says there is no official information about the kind of medical drugs, and equipment need by nurses and doctors. He says basic medical drugs are not reaching the people, because those at the local level are not aware or do not have the capacity to distribute the drugs and medicines. Dr Malau says he wants that changed.
He says one way to do that is to sit down and talk it over with donor partners to help fund programs that really suit the basic health care needs of the people, and to train and provide skills to PNG health workers.
MALAU: One of the key things that I think we need to improve on is how we negotiate initially on the projects that are designed or programs that are designed to assist us, ensure that we strengthen capacity at the local level, so they are able to manage these systems better. Most times we don't give functions to the provinces and districts, so we need to work on ensuring the people are able, at the local level, to translate national policies and guidelines into local level implementation.
If the capacities are not there, we should be at national level supporting them to build at capacity and they are monitored properly. So while we have consultants here, I think we should be able to proactively have meaningful part in negotiating the design of programs, whether they be all grade support or the global fund support. They actually comply first with our governed and structures and to ensure that do have impact and are sustainable in the long run.
NANOL: He also says P-N-G has also failed to maintain or sustain donor funded programs in the health sector.
Dr Malau says sometimes, when governments sign an agreement with donor partners to fund a health program like an immunisation program, they do not understand how it will work, and think it is the donors responsibility.
He says they must know how it will benefit the people and whether PNG health workers can continue the program once the donor partners leave.
MALAU: Right now, I'm still concerned about how we negotiate counterpart arrangements for example. We need to look very clearly at whether the counterparting is appropriate. If it's appropriate, how would we manage that? In certain circumstances, we do have counterparts that may undermine the capacity of the local person, because of the fact that the counterpart may not be an appropriate match for the national counterpart.
NANOL: He says PNG is talking to donor agencies about reviewing the existing health support programs and coming up with arrangements, which are best for PNG and can be managed by Papua New Guineans.
Dr Malaus says the World Health Organisation officials including donor partners like Australia and other have been receptive to his plan.
