Covid-19 deaths rising in Papua New Guinea
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Covid-19 deaths rising in Papua New Guinea
PORT MORESBY: The Coronavirus (Covid-19) death toll is rising in
Papua New Guinea (PNG) with the country’s biggest hospital recording 35 deaths
in three weeks.
Port Moresby General Hospital chief executive officer
Dr Paki Molumi said the deaths at the hospital were from Sept 27 in the
Covid-19 wards and in the emergency department.
In Mt Hagen Hospital, the 30 who died since Sept 17
were unvaccinated, Western Highlands Health Authority chief executive officer
Jan Holden said.
PNG Cyber Monitor reproduces below several Covid-19 news updates published by The National:
Deaths rising
October 18, 2021The
NationalMain Stories
By LULU MARK
THE Coronavirus (Covid-19) death toll continues to rise around the
country, with the biggest hospital recording 35 in three weeks, officials say.
Port Moresby General Hospital (PMGH) chief executive officer Dr Paki Molumi
said the deaths at the hospital were from Sept 27 in the Covid-19 wards and in
the emergency department.
At the Mt Hagen Hospital, the 30 people who had died since Sept 17 were not
vaccinated, says Western Highlands health authority chief executive officer
Jane Holden.
In Eastern Highlands, provincial health authority chief executive officer Dr
Joseph Apa said people were “dying here and there like flies”.
The PMGH is planning to open up services after scaling them down two weeks ago.
Dr Molumi said of the 35 deaths, 99 per cent were not vaccinated.
Since Sept 27 when the surge began, the positivity rate rose from 35 per cent
to 89 per cent.
“This means there is an increasing number of cases coming to our emergency
department that reflects more community transmission,” he said.
“We are experiencing a huge surge in Covid-19 which is worse than the last two
surges.
“The Austmat tent outside the car park, emergency department, 19- bed isolation
ward are all full.”
The hospital has opened another 52-bed Covid-19 ward which currently has 49
patients.
“Every day the numbers are increasing and is filling up the wards.
“So we are trying to improve the capacity at the Taurama Aquatic Centre (Nightingale
Covid-19 centre) so that we can offload some patients there.
“TAC has 30 beds but now has 35 patients already. The Tairama centre can
accommodate 150 to 200 patients.
“So next week, the capacity should increase so that it can hold 60 or 90 patients,”
Molumi said.
“We are struggling to get the capacity at TAC up and running so we can offload
some of these patients so that PMGH will return to normal.” Dr Molumi added
that the hospital was experiencing a strain on its workforce after 89 staff
members tested positive for the Covid-19 and were on sick leave to allow home
isolation.
Officials
attacked during awareness
October 18, 2021The
NationalMain Stories
By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK
TWO West New Britain Health Authority officials were injured and their
vehicles damaged during a Coronavirus (Covid-19) awareness and vaccination
drive, says authority chairman Dr Mathias Sapuri.
“The crowd attacked us by throwing stones at the team during the provincial
Covid-19 awareness and vaccination drive in Kimbe town on Friday,” he said.
The team included provincial administrator Hosea Williamson, Covid-19 incident
manager Dr Joseph Nale, chief executive officer Stanis Tao and the provincial
police commander.
“I blame misinformation about the vaccination that is going viral on the social
media that led to this (attack)”, he said. Dr Sapuri, also the deputy chairman
of the National Health Board, said the incident occurred at about 10am when a
street preacher was told to leave the site in front of Bank South Pacific
because he had no permit from the National Pandemic Control Centre to hold a
public gathering there.
“When we arrived to start our programme, the preacher was in the midst of his
preaching.
“Our staff told him to stop as he had no permit,” he said.
He said the crowd following his preaching got angry when Dr Nale began
addressing them about the Covid-19.
“Some people threw stones at us.
“The police advised us to stop to prevent further public disorder,” he said.
Some of the crowd went to a settlement on the outskirts of town and attacked a
medical team there.
“Two of our workers sustained injuries and our vehicles were damaged with the
smashing down of glasses.
“They also damaged the tent used for the awareness and vaccination drive.”
Dr Sapuri was disappointed with the spreading of misinformation.
“Such baseless information is misleading the public.
“We are not forcing anyone to get vaccinated.
“We are carrying out awareness based on global scientific research.
“And from our awareness, you choose whether you want to be vaccinated or not.”
Australia
deploys emergency medical team
October 18, 2021The
NationalMain Stories
AN emergency management team from
Australia arrived in Port Moresby on Saturday to help Papua New Guinea respond
to the surge in Coronavirus (Covid-19) cases.
The Australian High Commission in a statement said the Australian team would
work with PNG authorities.
National Pandemic Controller David Manning and Australia High Commissioner Jon
Philp welcomed the team which included three Australian medical assistance team
health specialists, two logisticians plus staff from Emergency Management
Australia and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
“They will support the PNG National Control Centre to coordinate its Covid-19
response, support the management in severe cases and help distribute equipment
and supplies across the country,” the statement said.
Australia is also providing 40 oxygen concentrators for patients in hospitals.
Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne said the Australian government
continued to assist PNG respond to the new surge in Covid-19 cases.
“Health Minister Jelta Wong and I discussed further targeted assistance that
Australia can provide.
“I confirmed with Minister Wong that Australia will also deploy another Ausmat
team to PNG to assess how we can support the PNG health system respond to this
outbreak.
“I also reaffirmed Australia’s commitment to meeting PNG’s vaccine supply
needs, as vaccination is a crucial part of the road to recovery.”
Doctor:
People dying like flies
October 18, 2021The
NationalMain Stories
By ZACHERY PER
THE spread of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) in Eastern Highlands is “so
fast people are dying like flies”, according to Dr Joseph Apa, the chief
executive officer of the Eastern Highlands Provincial Health Authority. “The
spread of deadly delta variant is so fast that people are dying here and there
like flies,” Dr Apa said.
He strongly urged everyone to get vaccinated and continue practicing the new
normal.
“Get vaccinated. Critically ill patients are in dire need of oxygen,” Dr Apa
said. He estimates that more than 100 who died in villages in the eight
districts not been properly accounted for.
“This is the first time,” he said.
“The spread is very fast. More than 100 died in the districts where there are
communal gatherings.”
Dr Apa received food from the Goroka district administration. Goroka MP Aiye
Tambua and district chief executive officer Benson Imara gave K100,000 to
Goroka town Lopi Clinic.
Imara called on MPs from the other seven Eastern Highlands districts to assist
Goroka town where many people were flocking to.
“People are getting help in Goroka town because their health facilities in the
districts have stopped functioning. We need your help,” Imara said.
Infected
bodies rejected
October 18, 2021The
NationalMain Stories
By GLORIA BAUAI
THE Glanrowan Funeral homes in Goroka and Lae have stopped receiving
bodies of those who die from the Coronavirus (Covid-19), the funeral director
says.
John Simon Glanville has instructed staff that any deaths requiring mortuary
and embalming services must first be taken to the general hospital to be
declared, issued a death certificate and swabbed to be confirmed negative for
the Covid-19.
“I sincerely apologise to my Papua New Guineans for this inconvenience – it is
not a harassment or meant to be discriminatory, rather it is a measure to protect
us, including you, from the Covid-19,” he said.
The Morobe Covid-19 Emergency Operations Centre said both the stadium and
hospital morgues were full to capacity and the authority would do mass burial
for bodies that had been there for more than two months.
Glanville’s decision to stop bodies coming in came after one of his staff in
Lae was tested positive for the Covid-19 and isolated.
According to him, the homes received their first two Covid-19 deaths last year
and then an increase in number his year.
He said the pandemic had put a lot of pressure on the service which also
catered for Madang and Wewak.
“An issue we faced was that some families did not remove their deceased out
quickly for fear of the Covid-19 and in turn that was affecting our business,”
he said.
“Prior to the Covid-19, we would receive a maximum of 35 bodies per week but
this quickly increased with the third wave.
“So, initially, we put a limit for Covid-19 bodies at six and they were kept
separately; but after my staff fell ill, I had to put a complete stop.
“In Lae alone, we handled about 40 Covid-19 bodies before my decision to stop
it.”
Glanville sees the need to liaise with the Morobe Covid-19 hospital to bring
another container to serve as a second Covid-19 morgue.
Medical equipment
donations start reaching Goroka hospital
October 18, 2021The
NationalMain Stories
DONATIONS comprising oxygen cylinders
and consumable items have started pouring in for Goroka Hospital early last
week.
The donations for frontline health workers in the hospital’s Coronavirus
(Covid-19) isolation centre, were contributed by the China/PNG Friendship
Association in Goroka, Eastern Highlands.
Association chairman and Seng DA Business Group chief executive officer Bobby
Chan said he had decided to play a more active role to help the hospital.
“We have raised K100,000 to buy oxygen concentrators and food stuff to support
Covid-19 patients and the tireless frontline health workers,” he said.
“The Goroka Chamber of Commerce also brought in a container-full of medical
supplies.”
Eastern Highlands health authority chief executive officer Dr Joseph Apa said
he was grateful that the business communities, church groups and individuals
were helping to raise funds for the province to fight Covid-19.
“We are running out of resources and the donations can make a big difference as
the fight against the virus is far from over ,” he said.
‘Dead all
unvaccinated’
October 18, 2021The
NationalMain Stories
By ELIAS LARI
THIRTY people who died from the Coronavirus (Covid-19) at Mt Hagen
Hospital since Sept 17 were not vaccinated, Western Highlands health authority
chief executive officer Jane Holden says.
She brushed aside rumours and claims of the Covid-19 vaccine side effects
posted on social media.
Holden said when the province lockdown from today would give people an
opportunity to come forward to get vaccinated.
She said vaccine would only help people against the Covid-19 and they needed to
think outside the box.
Holden said the hospital had 74 admitted patients from the 1,388 positive
cases.
Some of the 91 hospital staff who also tested positive one, in isolation.
“Just compare this figure and see and think about your health.
“Are you safe?
“We are targeting 74,000 people to be vaccinated but people are not responding
well and this can be one of the factors we keep seeing more positive cases,”
Holden said.
She said the health authority believed that more positive people were still in
the villages.
“We are encouraging you to come and get your vaccine and testing so that can
prevent the spread and further lockdowns,” she said.
Holden said the two-week lockdown would help health staffs to control the
spread as people’s movement would be restricted.
She said the authority had been trying its very best to contain the spread
since Sept 17.
“Our concern now is to make sure that we can see more people coming for the
vaccination at the hospital,” she said.
Holden thanked business houses in the province who were supporting the provincial
health authority.
“We need to help each other at this crucial time as lives are not safe and
people must take all health measures seriously,” she said.
Acting provincial administrator Stanley Maip said most of the tasks to reduce
the spread lay with ward councillors and community leaders. Maip said public
gatherings
like funerals, bride price and compensations should stop as the province was
experiencing an increase in the number of positive cases daily.
He said people needed to be vaccinated and start applying strict rules starting
at village level.
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