Wednesday 25  November 2020

Several priority events and training workshops for health workers, doctors stakeholders and donor partners  have  been scheduled for November 2020, according to the latest   Papua New Guinea Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Health Situation Report (11- 22 November).

A meeting of the  Health Sector Aid Coordination Committee, comprising  health officials and donor partners, is  under way    today  (November 25)  in which  the COVID-19 Expenditure Tracking and Donor Tracker  Report  was  presented.

From 26 to 27 November, a Provincial Health Authority forum  will take place, where executives of  the PHAs and officials from the National Department of Health and other government departments  and key stakeholder will   discuss issues of management, policy, systems and innovations to implement health reforms in the country.

Meantime, the COVID-19 Summit has been rescheduled for 25 January to 5 February  2021 at the APEC Haus, Port Moresby.

A World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Training on Vaccine and Immunization Safety in the Western Pacific was organized from 16 – 19 November  for medical and technical officers from the National Department of Health.

The training was part of  safety preparedness   in the event  that  the COVID-19 vaccines are deployed to the region.

Another important  training, supported by  the Department of Health, PNG Society of Anesthetists, UNICEF and WHO,   was  held  from 17  – 19 November 2020,  for health care workers on ventilator use,

It was reported a total of 21 doctors and nurses from East Sepik, East New Britain, Milne Bay, Chimbu, and New Ireland Provinces   successfully  participated in the training.

The report further highlighted that a Workshop on Strengthening COVID-19 Diagnostic Response in the country  was  held  in Port Moresby from 19 – 20 November.

Representatives from the Central Public Health Laboratory (CPHL), PNG Institute  for Medical Research (PNGIMR), Port Moresby General Hospital (PMGH), National Department of Health (NDOH) and the World Health Organisation (WHO)  took part  in this  training.