UPGRADE, EQUIP HOSPITALS, OPPOSITION URGED GOV’T

The Leader of Opposition Honourable Jeremiah Manele has strongly urged the Government to upgrade and equip hospitals around the country.

Honorable Manale highlighted this while he contributed to the 2015 Appropriation Bill 2015 in Parliament, Wednesday this week.

Mr Manele said if leaders are really serious about the health of their people, they need to properly equip the National Referral Hospital (NRH) and provincial hospitals.

He said hospitals around the country, as well as the NRH, lack the necessary, even some of the basic equipment that they need such as scan machines, MRI and ECG machines and ventilators.

Honorable Manele said these are laboratory equipments that are urgently needed for specific tests that are important to avoid the hassle of sending test samples to Australia.

He said the 2015 Supplementary budget must make provisions to purchase the equipment.

Meanwhile, the Opposition Leader said much has been said about the relocation of the National Referral Hospital.

Mr. Jeremiah Manele said, it appears that there are still a lot of consultations to be done by the Ministry of Health, especially in terms of whether it will be a total relocation or partial relocation in terms of the functions of the hospital.

Honorable Manele said it appears that the NRH building will still be there for years to come performing certain functions whether primary, secondary or tertiary health care services.