Papua New Guinea’s economic, health woes to continue

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Papua New Guinea’s economic, health woes to continue

PORT MORESBY: The national economy and the health care system will remain at risk well into next year because of the country’s very low Coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccination rate, Institute of National Affairs executive director Paul Barker says.

He predicts that the pandemic would continue.

In Parliament on Wednesday, Abau MP and former Health Minister Sir Puka Temu urged the Government to sanction mandatory vaccination for the people as the country’s vaccination rates remained the lowest in the world.

Read on for more details as published by The National:

Economy, health woes to continue

November 19, 2021The NationalMain Stories

By DALE LUMA
THE national economy and the health care system will remain at risk well into next year because of the country’s very low Coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccination rate, an economist says.
Institute of National Affairs (INA) executive director Paul Barker predicts that the pandemic will continue.
In Parliament on Wednesday, Abau MP and former Health minister Sir Dr Puka Temu urged the Government to sanction mandatory vaccination for the people as the country’s vaccination rates remained the lowest in the world.
Barker said everyone was hoping, “as we were at this time last year, that next year will see a post-Covid economic recovery”.
“Much of the rest of the world has been able to partially put the pandemic behind them with the roll-out of vaccines, enabling some restoration of the global economy resulting in a surge in various commodity prices, including for energy, in the face of supply and transportation constraints,” he said.
“PNG unfortunately has seen its Covid-19 case numbers rise in 2021, and then surge from October, seemingly in response to the arrival of the Delta variant.
“With the very low vaccination rates and a weak healthcare system, the virus is liable to continue.”
Barker said it was not only as a health concern, but also a major constraint to economic activity “well into 2022, continuing also to restrain employment restoration and new jobs and investment”.
“Nevertheless, PNG has been able to gain some of the benefits, but also borne some costs, of the improved commodity prices, with stronger export earnings from gas and from vegetable oils, notably palm oil and coconut oil, and from copper and other minerals, and beverages, like coffee,” he said.
“The downside, is that the higher energy prices have both raised the cost of doing business in PNG and the cost of living, at a time when many businesses and households are already struggling with the weak economy, extended disruptions, not least from constant blackouts, continued foreign exchange shortages and other factors.”

Wong: Compulsory vaccination possible but policy remains same

November 19, 2021The NationalNational

By LULU MARK
THE Government says compulsory Coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccination is possible in the country, but right now its policy remains “voluntary vaccination”.
Minister for Health and HIV/AIDS Jelta Wong was responding yesterday to a statement in Parliament on Wednesday by Abau MP and former Health minister Sir Puka Temu, calling on the Government to sanction mandatory vaccination in light of the very low vaccination rate – “the lowest in the world”.
Wong said: “It is possible, it will give us the immunity that we need to be at (as a country).
“But Government policy is to give people the right to choose.
“We are a democratic country with a Government that gives the people the right of choice.”
Wong said the only way for the vaccination rate in PNG to increase was for the people to go and get the vaccine which was available.
“The only way it will increase is for the mindset of our people to change – from waiting to about to die than going to the hospital for vaccination or check-up to prevent illness,” he said.
Wong stressed that so much awareness on the Covid-19 and its vaccination had been conducted.
“It’s the hottest topic unless people are blind or deaf,” he said.
“If they think we haven’t done enough awareness, tell me where they (Health Department and National Control Centre) haven’t done enough so we can step up.”
According to an update from the NCC yesterday, the vaccination target population was 1,869,379.
So far, 265,820 people had received at least one dose and 193,482 people were fully vaccinated. As of Wednesday, the country had recorded 33,609 cases, with 475 deaths.

Cheap liquor products blamed for increased victims of violence

November 19, 2021The NationalNational

By ZACHERY PER
CHEAP liquor products with high alcohol content has been blamed for the high number of victims of violence ending up at the Sir Joseph Nombri Kundiawa General Hospital over the past three months, according to its emergency unit.
Senior nurse George Mandai said from July to September, 60 admissions resulted from violence due to heavy consumption of cheap liquor products.
“Most of this cheap liquor contains high percentage of alcohol that young men and women are consuming,” he said.
“The high alcohol content causes the consumer to lose consciousness and cause violence in the family and community.”
Mandai said 43 admissions were for knife wounds and 17 for fractures for the three months.
The family sexual violence unit at the Kundiawa Police Station records about 20 incidences of violence every month as a result of cheap liquor consumption.
A police officer who declined to be identified, said cheap alcohol products were destroying families.
“When fathers and their sons, when they are under the influence of these cheap products, they cause family violence,” he said.
The source told The National from Kundiawa yesterday that as a result, family members got injured, family units broke down, children’s education was affected and there was a breakdown of family and community units.
“I call on responsible authorities to stop selling these cheap liquor products as they are causing problems for families, communities, districts and provinces,” the police officer said.

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