Friday 22 October 2021

Prime Minister, Hon. James Marape, has called on all Provincial Health Authorities (PHAs) to submit their Covid-19 Reports and Plans as soon as possible to secure resources  to address the pandemic response.

He said it was incumbent on all PHAs   to send in their plans so that national government could roll out funding to them.

Two  provinces, Eastern and Western Highlands are the only  ones  who have submitted their reports to date.

He has warned that if no  plans for Covid and other diseases  were forthcoming   next week, then he would call for their replacement.

“If  some of you do not send  in your plans  by next week, we are looking seriously into  ensuring that if you do not respond , we might as well replace  you.”

 He added, “this is  no light moments. Our country is in  red zone in as far as  Covid-19 is concerned.”

Meanwhile, Prime Minister  has requested  the Departments of Finance, National Planning and Treasury  to meet with  the Department of Health, and  to ensure  resources are  secured to support    PHAs,  to enable  the  health care system  is built up to manage the  flow out of Covid19  into the future.

“We are working with our  Provincial Health Authorities to ensure we build up  capacities in our provinces.”

Mr Marape   further committed  to expanding bed spaces  in hospitals in the country  this year and 2022, by ensuring that   beds  built in country have  oxygen attached to  them.

“The   clinical care aspect  will be looked at by our government,    to ensure that those  who are  sick ,will be able to   be attended to,  in   as far as  medical care is concerned.”

 Prime Minister has also assured citizens that the government is doing all it can to mitigate the spread of Covid-19.

 “You  can help the cause by  either getting vaccination or stay isolated and  together,  we could  move through this by coming out of this alive.

 “We will take stock of where we are , and if some measures  we will pass from the Control Centre  next week, I encourage our citizens  to know, this is no ordinary times.

“These measures that we pass may mean  stopping our  people   to move around. Our National Control team  is looking  seriously at our isolation strategy, but as I said we’ve been trying to  balance the issue of economic well being as well as our  country and I take this time to inform our country that Covid-19 is getting big.”.

 Prime Minister  will  hold an emergency meeting  with National Control Centre, Defence, Police , Finance and National Planning and Treasury on Sunday  (24 October) to  mobilise  resources and   hands-on-deck  deployment through out the provinces..

 “We may  ask for the nation to step up in as far as the isolation strategy is concerned.”

He added that if people are still  hesitant on   vaccination, they  then have to support the government  in isolating movements and keeping localised in towns and provinces.

 Mr Marape  says he may call on  the Defence  Force to mobilise  volunteers , especially grade 12  drop outs who are  in the districts and  provinces  through out the country  to help with the Covid-19 pandemic response.