Bid to end continuing protest by nurses over rape

PORT MORESBY (Papua New Guinea Post-Courier/PINA Nius Online) – Papua New Guinea Health Secretary Dr. Puka Temu has urged nursing staff of the Mount Hagen General Hospital to resume duties.

It came as:

* THE Women Doctors Association joined the condemnation of the attack on and rape of three nurses in Mt. Hagen last week.

* IN Lae, two senior nurses called for the Health Department to provide barracks type accommodation for nurses to help improve their safety.

Dr. Temu, in a meeting with the hospital’s management, board members and staff in Mt. Hagen, said the prolonged closure of the hospital would cause a lot of inconvenience for the majority of people in the community.

Dr. Temu said: “No matter what, the hospital must restore full services by Monday. I personally don’t want the protest to go beyond Monday. Our profession is to provide humanitarian services. It will be against our professional ethics and moral to prolong the closure.”

Dr. Temu made this statement after expressing sympathy on the rape of three nurses last week in Mt. Hagen.

He said the department would build sleeping quarters for nurses living outside the hospital boundaries. He also promised to buy a new hospital vehicle straight away.

The hospital was closed last Monday following the rape and car theft incident.

Western Highlands Governor Fr. Robert Lak committed K150,000 on Tuesday to the hospital to build nurses quarters. The Health Department would meet the balance of the construction.

Spokesman for hospital staff Dr. James Iboro said the attack on the hospital staff were frequent and the walk off was to make the community aware that such incidents would not be tolerated.

He expressed disappointment at the community around the city for not providing information and handing in the culprits.

Dr. Iboro highlighted that the progress of the community-based heath program in the province was affected by the theft of the vehicle.

He still wanted compensation for the raped victims from the tribes concerned.

He said all services at the hospital would be restored by Monday.

Women doctors spokeswoman Dr. Mary Joku Ponifasio said the attack was the “lowest form of human behavior.” And she was bitter about nothing being done at the national level to address the problem.

Dr. Ponifasio said the group would submit a letter to the Health Minister to ask for improvements to hospital security.