Politicking and Games ARE Driving the Goroka Hospital Dispute

No-one would argue that frontline health workers and those who manage our health services have an ethical responsibility to save Papua New Guinean lives (You all swore oaths to save lives. Post-Courier editorial Friday, March 20, 2015.).  Nor would anyone argue your point that “politicking and games”should not be conducted at the expense of patient care. However, applauding the Health and HIV/AIDS Minister Michael Malabag on his decision, through the NEC, to suspend the EHPHA Board and CEO is arguable. 

Less than two weeks ago the Minster advised the nation that the Committee of Enquiry (appointed by the Minister himself) to look into matters at the Eastern Highlands Provincial Health Authority (EHPHA) had found that the EHPHA Board and Management was properly constituted and has been performing its functions in accordance with its mandate under the Provincial Health Authorities Act 2007 (Committee of Enquiry into Eastern Highlands Provincial Health Authority. Post-Courier 11 March, 2015). In the statement the Minister also expressed his confidence in the EHPHA Board and Management. If the sudden backflip by the Minister is because strike action has continued at Goroka hospital since 11 March, the Minister (and NEC) need to know why. 

The EHPHA Board and Management have continued to prioritize efforts to end the strike. EHPHA convened an independent Mediation Committee comprising community, police and church leaders who spoke with staff and management in an attempt to identify the underlying issues driving the strike action. To date, no log of claims has been given to the EHPHA Board and Management by officers who commenced strike action on 28 February, 2015. On Friday 13 March, the Member for Goroka, Bire Kimisopa attended a meeting of Goroka Hospital staff and community members in the hospital carpark. The Member stated that the terminated acting hospital manager, Francis Wandi, would be reinstated as the Goroka hospital manager.

The gates of the EHPHA administration building were locked and the administration staff were told to go and work in a nearby park. In response to these actions, the EHPHA Board, on legal advice, obtained an interim exparte Court Order on 17 March from the Goroka National Court to unlock the gate of the EHPHA administration building, to remove the illegal guards manning the Goroka hospital gates, to allow access to the EHPHA administration building by EHPHA management and administration staff to permit their return to work, to restrain the conduct of meetings without approval from EHPHA management and restrain from removing/damaging/destroying any EHPHA property, and to restrain Francis Wandi from carrying himself out as acting hospital manager and from entering the Goroka Hospital campus. Some hospital staff and others refused to comply with the Court Order and the gates to the EHPHA Administration remained locked.

 This left Goroka hospital operations compromised as the management team could not perform essential functions such as issuing payments for hospital goods and services. What is evident is not that the EHPHA Management have failed in their duty to maintain services at Goroka hospital, but that they are being hampered in their effort to do so by “politicking and games”. 

Hospital staff are being manipulated to revolt against an established and legitimate management structure (the Eastern Highlands Provincial Health Authority (EHPHA) Board and Management) by a handful of individuals who seem determined to bring down the current EHPHA leadership because they believe that their own personal and political agendas will not be served while the current EHPHA Board and Management remain in power. 

The Minister and NEC would be well served by knowing all sides of the story being played out in Goroka before taking action. Suspending the Board and CEO may temporarily end the current impasse between EHPHA Management and staff, but it sends a message to public servants that they can behave in ways that defy the Acts of Parliament under which they are administered without consequence. It also sends a message that political interference, despite being in contravention to sections of the Acts that govern PNG’s Public Service, wins out eventually.

An NEC appointed Commission of Enquiry into the functioning of the EHPHA may be best way of identifying the underlying agendas driving the troubles in Goroka. The future viability of PNG health services to be effectively managed, prevent illness, cure the sick and ultimately save lives may depend on it. Lets tell the truth. Goroka 22 March 2015.

PNGBLOGS Contributor Network

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