Half colonial – the man who stayed behind
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Covid in Simbu: Things are not OK

Info
Covid information booth in Kundiawa

PHILIP KAI MORRE

KUNDIAWA – Covid-19 is giving us problems in Simbu and there are two conflicting stories concerning care and support at Sir Joseph Nombri Memorial Hospital.

For a while the hospital seemed to be doing well in admitting people to clinical treatment and isolation.

But now the CEO and his executives say there are few problems and that they are well set to care for Covid patients while the clinical staff, especially doctors and nurses, say the situation is far worse.

My take is that Kundiawa Hospital seems to have real problems but that the CEO and top executives are hiding them.

There is a conflict between doctors and nurses and the management staff who control funds.

The funds given to set up a separate care centre seem to have just gone without any development and there are no vaccines.

Nurses are complaining about lack of safety equipment, a shortage of oxygen cylinders and other essential items to address the pandemic.

There is a lack of clinical assistance to nurses as frontline workers fear for their own lives because the hospital is not providing essential safety equipment.

The administrators must listen to the clinical component of the hospital and ensure money is not spent unwisely on non-medical equipment like vehicles, houses, computers and allowances.

There is also misleading information on deaths not said to be caused by Covid. Several patients have been isolated as Covid cases without proper clinical diagnosis or interviews.

Medical officers must tell us the truth when dealing with human health. The hospital is a place for both life and death but unwarranted death should be avoided.

In the community ignorance and behavioral problems are real killers.

There needs to be more information and specific awareness amongst the people. People are confused and all sorts of conspiracy theories are adding more problems.

Kundiawa Hospital has started to frighten people because Covid patients are being treated and accommodated in hospital wards meant for general patients.

Public hospitals are established for common people and Covid patients should be isolated in the hospital.

There is more to be done and we cannot pretend that everything is OK.

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