THE solicitor-general has been advised to go to court today and apply for contempt charges to be served on the striking doctors and their leaders, The National reports. A court order was allegedly served on the executives of the National Doctors Association (NDA) last Friday, preventing them from staying away from work in protest over their working terms and conditions agreed to in 2007. However, the doctors had defied these orders and had continued on with their strike, which is now into its fourth day.
The Port Moresby-based doctors had been joined by other members of the association from around the country, including Mt Hagen and Goroka.
An inter-parties court hearing on the matter had been scheduled for tomorrow.
In issuing instructions to take the doctors to court, Attorney-General Sir Arnold Amet said the NDA executives could be called before the court and cited for contempt or “they could be arrested and imprisoned”.
“I have instructed the solicitor-general to advise the court that its interim stay order against the doctors striking was served on them.
“The NDA executives were served the court order, but they have not complied,” Sir Arnold said.
“It is imperative that a court order is complied with. Whatever the circumstance, a court order must be complied with or adhered to while discussions, to reach some form of compromise, continue.”
The court order was sought, and granted, through an ex parte application last Friday to restrain the doctors from going on strike.
The matter will return to court tomorrow for both parties to be heard.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Doctors defiant
THE nationwide doctors’ strike appears to be headed for the courts today as six more trade unions threw their support behind the National Doctors Association, The National reports.
The NDA executives face the likelihood of being held in contempt of a court order stopping them from striking last Friday.
A worst case scenario is being arrested and locked up.
Attorney-General and Justice Minister Sir Arnold Amet had instructed Solicitor-General Neville Devete to tell the court an earlier interim stay order restraining the doctors from going on strike was served on them last Friday but they had not complied with it.
As the strike enters its fourth day, most doctors nationwide stayed away from work after the Health and Personnel Management departments failed to reach an agreement with the NDA for improved pay and working conditions for its 500 members.
As the executives of the NDA face the prospect of being arrested for contempt, the umbrella PNG Trade Union Congress warned that national security was at stake.
Its management board met and agreed that the PNGTUC utilises all possible means and ways to have the matter resolved amicably following due industrial relations processes.
It added that all forms of industrial action, including a nationwide strike for all member associations, could not be ruled out.
“The strike is over a legitimate matter and has no political motives and will have adverse implications on the lives of the workers and their children, on the ordinary people of PNG and the lives of the patients,” it said in a statement.
As of yesterday, more than six trade unions said they supported the doctors and called on the government to intervene to save lives of the sick in hospitals.
Among them were the PNG Communications Workers Union and the PNG Maritime and Transport Workers Union which said separately that all available avenues must be explored to find an acceptable negotiation settlement instead of provoking and inflaming the situation by resorting to National Court injunctions.
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Hagen hospital empty ... Normally one of the busiest sections of Mt Hagen General Hospital in Western Highlands, the hospital pharmacy, was yesterday empty of its usual packed crowd waiting to collect their medication. Only the patients who consulted the nurses were treated or prescribed treatment. Most other sections of the hospital were empty yesterday as patients, who needed to see specialist doctors and medical workers, sought treatment elsewhere following the nationwide doctors’ strike, which will enter its fourth day today. Mt Hagen is also a major referral hospital for the highlands region. – Nationalpic by YVONNE HAIP
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A worst case scenario is being arrested and locked up.
Attorney-General and Justice Minister Sir Arnold Amet had instructed Solicitor-General Neville Devete to tell the court an earlier interim stay order restraining the doctors from going on strike was served on them last Friday but they had not complied with it.
As the strike enters its fourth day, most doctors nationwide stayed away from work after the Health and Personnel Management departments failed to reach an agreement with the NDA for improved pay and working conditions for its 500 members.
As the executives of the NDA face the prospect of being arrested for contempt, the umbrella PNG Trade Union Congress warned that national security was at stake.
Its management board met and agreed that the PNGTUC utilises all possible means and ways to have the matter resolved amicably following due industrial relations processes.
It added that all forms of industrial action, including a nationwide strike for all member associations, could not be ruled out.
“The strike is over a legitimate matter and has no political motives and will have adverse implications on the lives of the workers and their children, on the ordinary people of PNG and the lives of the patients,” it said in a statement.
As of yesterday, more than six trade unions said they supported the doctors and called on the government to intervene to save lives of the sick in hospitals.
Among them were the PNG Communications Workers Union and the PNG Maritime and Transport Workers Union which said separately that all available avenues must be explored to find an acceptable negotiation settlement instead of provoking and inflaming the situation by resorting to National Court injunctions.
Monday, March 28, 2011
A dying health system in Papua New Guinea
By BAPA BOMOTENG
What is really happening with the health system in Papua New Guinea?
The national doctors have gone to the limits of making a choice
between a moral life and death service of sacrifice and monetary
compensation for services.
What does that say about the Department of Health and the bureaucratic system?
Is it productive or old-aged and grinding to a halt because of
incompetent and aged work force?
Health Department gets a fair slice of the budget over the years but
it seems the funds never get tangible medicine and health workers
benefit in the rural areas of PNG.
Where are all the budgetary allocations going to each year?
Are there any draw downs?
Or are they being parked in trust accounts?
Or is all the government funding going to "paper shufflers" or to
"paper doctors" and "paper health consultants" and "paper paramedics"
as it has been happening all across other departments.
Now we know there are "fat cats" getting fed at the cost of rest of
health services.
Needless to mention, the termite-infested and aged facilities like
Angau Memorial Hospital in Lae, the hospitals in Mt Hagen, Daru,
Mendi, Modilon and Port Moresby.
The facilities are rotting away almost on a weekly basis.
And the entire negative images being heard of in the news.
While our people are dying slowly with an almost systematic alienation
program.
The Minister responsible and his Secretary must be held morally
responsible for loss of life while the system seems to be clogged and
is not responding to the demands of the population growth currently
facing our nation.
Why are we seeing all the policy and awareness in the Post -Courier
and the National almost on a weekly basis?
How much is all the cost of adverts?
Why are TB and AIDS getting all the attention?
What about the general medical services and the general workers welfare?
Are not the neglected services in themselves a psychological deadly
killer equivalent to AIDS and TB or malaria for that matter?
Why advertise and promote new programmes when we are not able to
maintain and sustain the existing infrastructure?
Why are we not able to sustain and properly look after our national doctors?
How could we have asked the Cubans to come and do our work?
It's a symptom of neglect all around.
Is something wrong with the system or the people sitting behind those
chairs in the Department of Health head office in Waigani have lost
the passion and the vision for a healthy population by 2050.
Why aim for 2050 when the basics of today are neglected?
There needs to be a revamp of the people in the positions of decision
making at Waigani.
Is the action taken by the national doctors a wake-up call or not?
The elites and the educated can afford the private doctors and
overseas medical services.
What about the simple villager, the urban settler and the average worker?
Where do they get help?
What a sad state of affairs and a state of seizure!
Health services have become an eyesore and a slow systematic killer
across the country.
It seems our citizens must live a careful and healthy life because the
public health system will not help.
God help us.
Western Highlanders form development forum
Educated Western Highlanders have formed a non-political entity known
as Western Highlands Development Forum to pool together resources for
development.
The forum had a gathering at the Botanical Gardens in Port Moresby
last Saturday, attended by prominent Western Highlands personalities,
as well as students from University of PNG.
"It's a very simple concept," executive chairman Samson Komati Yuimb
(pictured) told the gathering.
"There are more than 10,000 degree holders from Western Highlands since 1975.
"These educated elite do not have a voice in the development of our province.
"This group will be known as Western Highlands Development Forum."
Yuimb said once all formalities were completed, office bearers would
be elected, and a secretariat office would be set up in Mt Hagen.
"It must not be a political thing," he said.
"Politics has always been a problem area for us in Western Highlands.
"We aim to keep this group as non-political as possible."
Prominent Western Highlander, journalist John Eggins, suggested that
the forum operate along the lines of the successful Ipatas Foundation
in neighbouring Enga province.
"It's good to see a lot of young people here," he said.
"Organisations such as this are good.
"Our problem is we're always suspicious of each other.
"When you start something new, people will always be suspicious of you."
Eggin called for transparency if the forum was to be successful
BSP rethinks rural banking projects
By PATRICK TALU
BANK South Pacific (BSP) is rethinking its plan to provide banking services in the rural areas over security concerns, The National reports.
BSP chief executive officer Ian Clyne and head of rural banking Paul Thornton indicated last Friday during a media briefing that BSP’s rural banking projects are now being reviewed in light of recent robbery at Kwikila in Rigo, Central, and Daulo in Eastern Highlands.
Right now, there are 10 rural banking projects under way “but given the recent robbery, we have to review”, Clyne said.
“Simply put, if BSP rural could not be protected, then there would be no BSP rural branch in those areas (Daulo and Kwikila).
“BSP’s policy on armed robbery is clear – we will immediately close Daulo and Kwikila BSP rural branches for an indefinite period,” Clyne stressed.
That means the people of Daulo and Kwikila will now have to travel at great cost to Goroka and Port Moresby to do their banking.
Thornton said the BSP rural banking initiative was launched in last year to provide basic banking services across the country.
“This initiative is a community service initiative that would not generate profit for BSP,” he added.
To date, the bank has six branches, namely Kwikila, Daulo, Banz, Minj, Kerowagi and Lufa with staff recruited locally.
Clyne said BSP had taken the view based on previous experience that the people and the local community would have been aware of these pending robberies and might even know the identity of those involved.
The bank executives said the act of criminals now penalise majority of honest and hardworking people in those two areas.
Last Tuesday, the new BSP rural branches in Daulo and Kwikila lost a total of K70,000 to armed robbers.
BSP has called on the people of Asaro and Kwikila to help police solve the case, otherwise the bank might be forced to stop the local service.
BANK South Pacific (BSP) is rethinking its plan to provide banking services in the rural areas over security concerns, The National reports.
BSP chief executive officer Ian Clyne and head of rural banking Paul Thornton indicated last Friday during a media briefing that BSP’s rural banking projects are now being reviewed in light of recent robbery at Kwikila in Rigo, Central, and Daulo in Eastern Highlands.
Right now, there are 10 rural banking projects under way “but given the recent robbery, we have to review”, Clyne said.
“Simply put, if BSP rural could not be protected, then there would be no BSP rural branch in those areas (Daulo and Kwikila).
“BSP’s policy on armed robbery is clear – we will immediately close Daulo and Kwikila BSP rural branches for an indefinite period,” Clyne stressed.
That means the people of Daulo and Kwikila will now have to travel at great cost to Goroka and Port Moresby to do their banking.
Thornton said the BSP rural banking initiative was launched in last year to provide basic banking services across the country.
“This initiative is a community service initiative that would not generate profit for BSP,” he added.
To date, the bank has six branches, namely Kwikila, Daulo, Banz, Minj, Kerowagi and Lufa with staff recruited locally.
Clyne said BSP had taken the view based on previous experience that the people and the local community would have been aware of these pending robberies and might even know the identity of those involved.
The bank executives said the act of criminals now penalise majority of honest and hardworking people in those two areas.
Last Tuesday, the new BSP rural branches in Daulo and Kwikila lost a total of K70,000 to armed robbers.
BSP has called on the people of Asaro and Kwikila to help police solve the case, otherwise the bank might be forced to stop the local service.
First stage of Baisu project launched
By JAMES APA GUMUNO
THE first stage of the K83 million state-of-the-art highlands metropolitan jail in Baisu, Western Highlands, was launched last Friday by Correctional Service Minister Tony Aimo and Western Highlands Governor Tom Olga, The National reports.
Aimo said the project came in seven stages and it would take seven years to complete.
He said that when completed, Baisu would be the first in the South Pacific to have such an infrastructure.
Aimo told a big crowd including Olga, Correction Services Commissioner Richard Sikani, CS officers and the public that the project was a first of its kind funded by Government and AusAID, under its law and justice sector programme.
He said the first stage of the development cost K10 million and the contract was awarded to Simple Blue Collar construction and would take 20-months to build.
He said the project was expected to be completed by next October.
He said the project was aligned with the Vision 2050 under pillar No. 3 and 4, which states institutional development, service delivery, security and international relations.
Aimo said Baisu jail was one of the four regional jails and was a major correctional institution in the highlands region and received prisoners from the five highlands provinces, Morobe and Madang.
He said Baisu was, therefore, earmarked under the correctional service “10-15 years reconstruction plan,” to replace the colonial infrastructure built in 1963.
He said most of the buildings in Baisu were nearly 50-years old and due to funding constraints, they did not maintain them throughout the successive years.
Aimo said the project would bring spin-off benefits to the people living near the jail and also change the image of the province.
He appealed to the community leaders to take control of the people, respect the development, contractors and other service providers who would develop the project.
Aimo requested Olga and his provincial executive council to improve the road from Bak to Baisu, water supply and communication at Baisu jail.
Olga thanked Aimo and the Government on behalf of the 550,000 people for the mega projects and other impact projects in his province.
Olga committed K3 million for the sealing of the Bak-Baisu road.
He also told the Aimo that Baisu jail was included in the master plan of Mt Hagen redevelopment, which was launched last year by Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare.
Olga said Sir Michael allocated K20 million for the city redevelopment and this would be rolled out this year.
He said the water supply in Baisu jail was also included in the master plan.
Olga said under the plan they would have reservoir tanks at Mt Ambra so that the jail would receive a consistent supply of fresh water.
When the project is completed, Baisu would accommodate up 1,300 prisoners at any one time, 80 self-contained units for the married officers, 40 self-contained units for the single officers and 90 houses for the senior officers.
THE first stage of the K83 million state-of-the-art highlands metropolitan jail in Baisu, Western Highlands, was launched last Friday by Correctional Service Minister Tony Aimo and Western Highlands Governor Tom Olga, The National reports.
Aimo said the project came in seven stages and it would take seven years to complete.
He said that when completed, Baisu would be the first in the South Pacific to have such an infrastructure.
Aimo told a big crowd including Olga, Correction Services Commissioner Richard Sikani, CS officers and the public that the project was a first of its kind funded by Government and AusAID, under its law and justice sector programme.
He said the first stage of the development cost K10 million and the contract was awarded to Simple Blue Collar construction and would take 20-months to build.
He said the project was expected to be completed by next October.
He said the project was aligned with the Vision 2050 under pillar No. 3 and 4, which states institutional development, service delivery, security and international relations.
Aimo said Baisu jail was one of the four regional jails and was a major correctional institution in the highlands region and received prisoners from the five highlands provinces, Morobe and Madang.
He said Baisu was, therefore, earmarked under the correctional service “10-15 years reconstruction plan,” to replace the colonial infrastructure built in 1963.
He said most of the buildings in Baisu were nearly 50-years old and due to funding constraints, they did not maintain them throughout the successive years.
Aimo said the project would bring spin-off benefits to the people living near the jail and also change the image of the province.
He appealed to the community leaders to take control of the people, respect the development, contractors and other service providers who would develop the project.
Aimo requested Olga and his provincial executive council to improve the road from Bak to Baisu, water supply and communication at Baisu jail.
Olga thanked Aimo and the Government on behalf of the 550,000 people for the mega projects and other impact projects in his province.
Olga committed K3 million for the sealing of the Bak-Baisu road.
He also told the Aimo that Baisu jail was included in the master plan of Mt Hagen redevelopment, which was launched last year by Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare.
Olga said Sir Michael allocated K20 million for the city redevelopment and this would be rolled out this year.
He said the water supply in Baisu jail was also included in the master plan.
Olga said under the plan they would have reservoir tanks at Mt Ambra so that the jail would receive a consistent supply of fresh water.
When the project is completed, Baisu would accommodate up 1,300 prisoners at any one time, 80 self-contained units for the married officers, 40 self-contained units for the single officers and 90 houses for the senior officers.
Report: Fat cats feed on doctors’ awards
DISTURBING new evidence has emerged that fat cats in the Health Department have used perks and privileges negotiated for the striking national doctors in their own contracts, The National reports.
Even more disturbing, the “doctored” contracts were approved in a matter of weeks while the National Doctors Association has been waiting for these perks and privileges after five years of negotiations.
Tired of the procrastination, the NDA called its membership to strike last Friday despite a court order restraining the action.
Documents released to The National showed there was double-dipping in relation to housing and vehicle allowances in the contracts of six executive managers of the Department of Health.
Further, overtime, education and domestic market allowances had been calculated and paid to these executive managers over and above those allowable for these positions.
In all, a total of K1.6 million per annum had been paid the six executive managers with total packages ranging from K232,476 at the lower range to K342,561 at the upper level.
Correspondence between a terminated whistle blower from the DoH and the Department of Personnel Management secretary John Kali indicated that the contracts for the executive managers had been negotiated by the NDA for specialist medical officers.
Executive managers were only entitled to standard senior public services category B contracts which do not carry allowances such as housing, vehicle, overtime and education at the levels contained in the contracts, the correspondence revealed.
The NDA specialist medical officers awards were negotiated “to attract and retain our limited highly skilled medical professionals”, one letter dated last May stated.
In the letter to Kali, the whistle blower said: “The NDA specialists medical officers are still waiting for this contract payment to be signed and the very agent, NDOH, that should implement these contracts according to the MoU signed with DPM in January 2010, has decided to draw their contract on this hard-fought contract and have made payments to themselves as effective in April 2010.”
Instances mentioned included the following:
* One executive was awarded and paid K96,000 housing allowance even though the officer had an institutional house and was also paid K60,000 special domestic market allowance for which the officer was not entitled to as it was only negotiated for specialist medical officers; and
* Another executive was awarded and paid K48,000 in minimum consolidated clinical overtime/on-call allowances which was only for specialist medical officers even the executive does not do clinical on-call and was not eligible for overtime as an executive.
Although the department refused a negotiated backpay for doctors of 25%, one of the executives was paid the full backpay amounting to K27,083.
Although new four-wheel-drive vehicles were given to the executive managers, each had worked into their contracts K42,000 and K45,000 vehicle allowances per annum.
Details of cheques paid and alleged fraudulent contracts were made available to DPM, Public Service Commission, the Ombudsman Commission and the chief secretary as well as senior ministers in government.
The whistle blower recommended that the fraud squad be called in to investigate the allegations and for the government to withdraw the devolution of powers to the Department of Health and for the secretary of the department to be suspended.
Even more disturbing, the “doctored” contracts were approved in a matter of weeks while the National Doctors Association has been waiting for these perks and privileges after five years of negotiations.
Tired of the procrastination, the NDA called its membership to strike last Friday despite a court order restraining the action.
Documents released to The National showed there was double-dipping in relation to housing and vehicle allowances in the contracts of six executive managers of the Department of Health.
Further, overtime, education and domestic market allowances had been calculated and paid to these executive managers over and above those allowable for these positions.
In all, a total of K1.6 million per annum had been paid the six executive managers with total packages ranging from K232,476 at the lower range to K342,561 at the upper level.
Correspondence between a terminated whistle blower from the DoH and the Department of Personnel Management secretary John Kali indicated that the contracts for the executive managers had been negotiated by the NDA for specialist medical officers.
Executive managers were only entitled to standard senior public services category B contracts which do not carry allowances such as housing, vehicle, overtime and education at the levels contained in the contracts, the correspondence revealed.
The NDA specialist medical officers awards were negotiated “to attract and retain our limited highly skilled medical professionals”, one letter dated last May stated.
In the letter to Kali, the whistle blower said: “The NDA specialists medical officers are still waiting for this contract payment to be signed and the very agent, NDOH, that should implement these contracts according to the MoU signed with DPM in January 2010, has decided to draw their contract on this hard-fought contract and have made payments to themselves as effective in April 2010.”
Instances mentioned included the following:
* One executive was awarded and paid K96,000 housing allowance even though the officer had an institutional house and was also paid K60,000 special domestic market allowance for which the officer was not entitled to as it was only negotiated for specialist medical officers; and
* Another executive was awarded and paid K48,000 in minimum consolidated clinical overtime/on-call allowances which was only for specialist medical officers even the executive does not do clinical on-call and was not eligible for overtime as an executive.
Although the department refused a negotiated backpay for doctors of 25%, one of the executives was paid the full backpay amounting to K27,083.
Although new four-wheel-drive vehicles were given to the executive managers, each had worked into their contracts K42,000 and K45,000 vehicle allowances per annum.
Details of cheques paid and alleged fraudulent contracts were made available to DPM, Public Service Commission, the Ombudsman Commission and the chief secretary as well as senior ministers in government.
The whistle blower recommended that the fraud squad be called in to investigate the allegations and for the government to withdraw the devolution of powers to the Department of Health and for the secretary of the department to be suspended.
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