By REBECCA KUKU - The National
HEALTH secretary Pascoe Kase, pictured, has been asked to vacate his office so an investigation can be done into the department to ascertain issues raised by the National Doctors Association, Prime Minister James Marape says.
Marape said Kase was asked to step aside and take some time off to allow a committee to investigate.
He said when he met with the National Doctors Association (NDA) to receive its petition, they agreed that he appoint one investigator, the health minister would appoint one and NDA would appoint one.
“I appointed one, Health Minister Elias Kapavore appointed one and NDA delayed for a week and finally appointed one a week ago,” he said.
“So we will now ask the secretary to step aside for a week, vacate his office and take time off as investigations are carried out.
“My Government will never compromise the health of our people so we are sending in these investigators to ascertain the issues and matters that were raised.”
Marape said if the investigations found that there were some individuals in the department who needed to respond to some of the issues discovered, then they would deal with them.
The NDA presented a nine-point petition to Marape on Aug 27 that included:
Marape said Kase was asked to step aside and take some time off to allow a committee to investigate.
He said when he met with the National Doctors Association (NDA) to receive its petition, they agreed that he appoint one investigator, the health minister would appoint one and NDA would appoint one.
“I appointed one, Health Minister Elias Kapavore appointed one and NDA delayed for a week and finally appointed one a week ago,” he said.
“So we will now ask the secretary to step aside for a week, vacate his office and take time off as investigations are carried out.
“My Government will never compromise the health of our people so we are sending in these investigators to ascertain the issues and matters that were raised.”
Marape said if the investigations found that there were some individuals in the department who needed to respond to some of the issues discovered, then they would deal with them.
The NDA presented a nine-point petition to Marape on Aug 27 that included:
- A need for new leadership, and secretary to be replaced;
- solutions sought for ongoing pharmaceutical crisis;
- seeking reasons for the delay (two years) in the formulation of the Radiation Bill for cancer services; NDA recommended immediate lifting of suspension of senior officers who were wrongly penalised, as they were crucially required to develop Regulations of the Radiation Safety & Control Act 2018.
- stopping the recently-created illegal department restructure which was single-handedly done by Kase with input only from some so-called foreign “advisers and consultants” with vested interests;
- reviewing of PHA boards, medical and pharmacy boards, National Health board and other policy-making and regulatory bodies;
- reviewing of existing laws that compromise health service delivery, (for example, pending amendments, pending new Bills such as the Health Practitioners Bill, formulation of Regulations (for example, the Regulations for Radiation Safety & Control Act 2018;
- full funding and implementation of National Health Services Standards rollout, which is the blue print of the National Health Plan 2011-2020;
- non-implementation of some existing NDA awards based on an MoA 2014-2017 (Health Insurance Premium outstanding payments, Medical Academics backdate and new remuneration package, home ownership scheme; and,
- Addressing the shortage of doctors by strategising immediate term solutions
Go to this link for more: https://www.thenational.com.pg/kase-asked-to-step-aside-allow-probe/
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