Gov’t allocates K239 million to address shortfall in health workforce
The National Government has allocated more than K239 million to the twenty-one provincial health authorities to address the health workforce shortfall, this year.
Health and HIV/AIDS Minister Elias Kapavore revealed this, following reports that the cancer centre at the Angau Memorial General Hospital in Lae, Morobe Province was closed and services suspended, after a stop work protest by 19 casual employees on short term contracts.
These employees include radiation therapist technologists, nurses and community health workers.
An earlier petition which contained the demands for a restructure of the centre to cater for more workers and for more positions for radiation therapist technologists was presented to former minister, Dr. Lino Tom and Secretary Dr. Osborne Liko August last year.
There was no good feedback to this petition which saw a follow up letter issued on the 10th February to the Hospital management advising of this stop-work decision.
Mr. Kapavore told NBC News, this is the Morobe Provincial Health authority received nearly 15 million kina under personal emoluments.
“The budget of nearly 15 million kina for personal emoluments to Morobe PHA can cater for up to four hundred staff, he said.
So I've advised the CEO to recruit those staff or the staff that are needed and against their structure, against positions that are vacant so that we can address staff.
The staff must be permanently attached to positions so we can avoid issues with non-payment of allowances because when the staff are paid through the system, through the Alesco payroll system, the allowances for each of the respective cadre of health workers, they are all configured into the payroll system,” Minister Kapavore said.
The Health Minister has directed the Morobe PHA CEO to proceed with the advertisements of the vacancies and start recruitment.
Kapavore added that all the 21 PHA CEOs were given directives through the Health Secretary to start making recruitments.