Doctor fears closing tuberculosis clinics for PNG patients

A Queensland doctor says Papua New Guinea's (PNG) health system is not ready to take over treatment of its own tuberculosis patients.

The Federal Government decided mid-last year to shift funding for the treatment of PNG Nationals from the Torres Strait Islands to PNG's Western Province. 
It led to a transition process of joint clinics.
Cairns-based respiratory physician, Dr Graham Simpson, is running the final scheduled clinics for PNG tuberculosis patients on the Torres Strait Islands of Boigu and Saibai this week.

He says while there has been good progress in handing over treatment plans to PNG doctors, the lack of laboratory services and difficulties with access to patients in remote villages means there is a long way to go.
Dr Simpson says tuberculosis patients from PNG are likely to continue coming to the Torres Strait Islands for treatment beyond this week's clinics.

He says another few years is needed to transfer treatment services to PNG health authorities and winding up the clinics this week could lead to serious health problems.
"I'm worried that both the existing patients and new patients will find it very difficult to access certain services for the geographical reasons," he said.

"There may be difficulties with drug supplies and getting drug supplies out to the remote villages, that we'll lose touch with some of these patients, that the treatment may be incomplete, that that will lead to further drug resistance and that will then spread into Australia."

Dr Simpson says agencies are due to meet next month to discuss progress and plan for the future.
"We don't know what will happen now - whether we'll just lose touch with these patients completely," he said.
"We don't know what's going to happen as new patients will present to the outer island clinics, or we won't be there to see them obviously.

"Patients are still going to turn up because they have very little choice."
Dr Simpson says he is hoping Federal Health Minister's support of a private member's motion last week will translate into funding to extend the Torres Strait clinics.

A federal health department spokeswoman says it is continuing to build treatment capacity in PNG for tuberculosis and has not ruled out funding more clinics in the Torres Strait.
The department says no detailed plans have been made for future hand over clinics but says funding is available.

ABC

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