Contents of Extradition Treaty must be published

In light of the Extradition Treaty signed between the Government of Papua New Guinea and Indonesia, there has never been on record any citizen of this country living in Indonesia that would warrant such action taken by both governments.

UNHCR confirms over 9,000 West Papuan Refugees living in Papua New Guinea make up our demography; where a good number of them are wanted by the Indonesian government.
It is very clear that the signed Extradition Treaty was initiated by the Indonesian government to extradite those wanted by their own government. We must defend and protect our stock with reference to six (6) Melanesian societies that are part of the global community.
They are; PNG, Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, New Caledonia and West Papua. The signing of the extradition treaty will in no way protect our Melanesian brothers and sisters who deserve nothing less than their own political freedom.

 The constant torture and killings of West Papuans by Indonesian soldiers across the border is very sensitive and an ongoing issue that cannot continue to be ignored whilst they continue to seek refuge in our country.

 The Prime Minister is reminded that it is the job of the Opposition, not only to take the government to task on matters of National Importance after the event, but to even speculate and take pre-emptive action. This is based on the principle that prevention is better than cure. It goes without saying, that any person or a group of persons, who assume any leadership role on behalf of our people, must accept public scrutiny in both their public and private lives.
The demography of Papua New Guinea is also made up by the West Papuan Community, who are part of us, and therefore it would only seem fair if the extradition treaty was pursued with their participation.

 Public knowledge has it that Djoko Tjandra is a citizen of this country, confirmed by O’Neill in the media last week, and that as a citizen of this country he was not subject to the extradition treaty, raising more suspicion who the extradition treaty was aimed at.
There are thousands of West Papuans living in PNG that do not have citizenship status, making them eligible for extradition if requested by the Indonesian government.
Peter O’Neill must publish the contents of the Extradition Treaty that was signed in Indonesia for public consumption and dispel all misconceptions or be seen as an indecisive leader as history portrays.

 We must always standby our principles even if we end up standing alone because political leadership in this country is not about the former MPs who defected to join the government, it is about 7.5 million citizens in this country, who deserve a government who will fight and defend them at all costs.

Adapted from http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20130626/news05.htm

East Sepik Provincial Administrator focuses on recruiting young workforce

The East Sepik Students’ Association of Divine Word University was privileged to meet with Provincial Administrator for East Sepik, Mr. Richard Kombo, on Saturday, 6^th July. Mr. Kombo was accompanied by Ms Roselyn from the Department of Personnel Management for Public Services. During the meeting a lot of interesting things concerning the province was said.

Mr. Kombo when speaking to the students, he said he is currently working on recruiting new and energetic students of ESP to return to the province and help build it. He is planning on laying off the old people who are holding public offices and need new graduates to fill in these offices

President of ESSA also hand delivered him two letters on the interests of the East Sepik students for financial assistance in paying of outstanding tuition fees, staging of the cultural show and Commissioning Ceremony for the final year students. A copy of each letter is addressed to the Governor of East Sepik Province, Hon. Mr. Michael Somare.

In response to questions raised by students concerning research, housing and communication network between the students and the provincial government, he said, he is in the preparation phase of building new houses to provide accommodation for the new recruits. Furthermore, his office is ready to fund any research in the fields of education, health, economy and agriculture. Before he finished, he is working on an internet website for the provincial government and was pleased to hear that the students are willing to help him build one. This would enable effective communication between the people of ESP and the provincial government

The meeting with Mr. Kombo to discuss such issues of paramount importance for the province was first of its kind and students are willing to work closely with the provincial government of ESP.

Health Vision 2050-Directions for the next forty years

I would like to bring to light some factors which I believe would be of obstacle when transforming the current level of health facilities to fulfil the promise of Health Vision 2050.

Firstly, I would like to thank the brains behind the documentation of the NHP 2011-2020. Surely preparation of such a document requires great planning, much resources, and high determination. No doubt, you people have a heart for the health and well-being of the people of PNG. I commend you for that.

Health Vision 2050 is a forty-year strategy that will transform the current health service delivery system in Papua New Guinea, and links to the National Government’s Papua New Guinea Vision 2050 and the PNG Development Strategic Plan 2010-2030. It includes the progressive introduction of community health posts, district hospitals, regional specialist hospitals, and national referral hospitals (Pacific Medical Centre)

What interests me the most is how they are planning to merge Health Sub-Centres and Aid Posts into Community Health Posts, introduction of Regional Specialist Hospitals and National Referral Hospitals or Pacific Medical Centre. They should consider the potential impacts such transformation would have on the current system and the personnel already working. Following is the diagram of the proposed reform.



Transformation of the current health service system to future scenario. source: NHP 2011-2020 Vol.1

 

The foreseeable impacts would mostly be a disaster in the lives of the health personnel as well as the system itself. Transforming the current health system would mean changes in health policies, administration structure, health legislations, Human Resource Management, Financial Management, Logistics Management, Assets Management, Office Accommodation and Health Information Management System

When that happens, health professionals and ancillary staffs are going to be faced with problems in job Security, employment, qualifications, salaries, job distribution and equality  and job Satisfaction and work performance

Furthermore, creating Regional Specialist Hospitals and Pacific Medical Centre may seem as duplication of services and waste of limited vital resources such as funds, human resources, materials and equipments for the purpose of achieving Health Vision 2050. Where are we going to get money to build these health facilities? Or for the case of human resources, how many doctors, nurses, midwives, and specialists health care workers do we have? What is the ratio of doctors, nurses and midwives per population? What is the current rate at which PNG students are selected to study health in the universities and colleges and will these institutions be able to cater for all of them? Or are we planning to recruit outsiders to come and work in these health facilities?  These are some critical questions to be asked if we want to transform the current health system. In addition, and I do not want to mention it time and again, how can regional specialist hospitals and Pacific Medical Centre be of service to the rural majority in terms of accessibility and affordability? What is the current government’s spending per capita in health?

 We should follow examples of countries where doctors and nurses live and work in the community they serve. Not to mention the problem that doctors and nurses dislike working in rural areas where majority of people live, maybe because best of life is not found in rural areas. So how can we change that? One practical example is the health care system of Cuba. Though it is a small economy like PNG, it has one of the best health care system and best health indicators as compared to developed nations like USA. The secret is, health care professionals like doctors and nurses live in neighbourhood where majority of people live and they know their patients very well. Cuban government invests in building and providing health facilities and services which attracts and is conducive for health professionals to work in those areas. They bring the services to the people and not the people seeking health services.

Recommendation

So why not bring the health services to where the people are and renovating or scaling up services provided by the current health care facilities. I think this would avoid spending resources in establishing extra new health facilities and duplication of services. So it would be nice if we could follow that example of Cuba.  

 

Western diets and Lifestyle Diseases of Civilisation

Lifestyle diseases or Non-Communicable Diseases, NCDs for short, are unhealthy conditions attributed to shifts in the way people live their lives, often due to advancements in the society. One primary cause of NCDs is consumption of unhealthy diets such as fast foods or junk foods. These diseases are emerging with greater frequency and are a greater concern in developing countries. Examples of these diseases and conditions include cancer, heart diseases, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and obesity. It is argued that individuals who are physically inactive, smoke, drink alcohol and rely on fast, ever ready foods have a greater chance of contracting these diseases (Christensen, 2013).

Fast food (or junk food) is the name given to food that can be prepared and served quickly, often served at basic restaurants or in packaged form for convenient takeaway/takeout. It is typically inexpensive to buy but unhealthy to eat. Fast food is often highly processed and produced on a large scale to decrease costs. Ingredients and various menu items are typically prepared at a different location before being sent to restaurants to be cooked, reheated or quickly put together for the customer’s convenience (Fast Foods Facts, 2013). These foods generally contribute lots of calories but little nutritional value to the body (Magee, 2013).

Fast foods are available almost everywhere we go. We often see much of them in supermarkets, restaurants, gas stations, and along roadsides. Interestingly, they are also found in mainstream media publications-Television, radio and newspapers.  Examples of these fast foods include coke, chips and chicken, fries, hot dogs, meat pies, Big Roosters, breakfast cereals and Kentucky Fried Chicken (Fast Foods Facts, 2013). Popular snack foods are usually commercially prepared and packaged, like chips, cheese puffs, candy bars, snack cakes, and cookies (Magee, 2013).

The problems with junk foods are that they are low in satiation value - that is, people don't tend to feel as full when they eat them - which can lead to overeating and junk food tends to replace other, more nutritious foods.

Globally, deaths from NCDs amounted to 57 million in 2008, 36 million, or 63%, were due to NCDs, principally cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancers and chronic respiratory diseases. As the impact of NCDs increases, and as population age, annual NCD deaths are projected to continue to rise worldwide, and the greatest increase is expected to be seen in low- and middle-income regions (Global Status Report on Non Communicable Diseases, 2012).

Due to increased awareness of public health and obesity levels, efforts have been made by developed nations to improve fast food menus by lowering fat levels or at least offering healthier alternatives. Some developed countries like Russia, USA and Australia ban fast food outlets near schools (Wale’s top doctor proposes fast food ban near schools, 2013). However, in PNG, the bill to ban sales of fast foods is strongly opposed by the majority of the people. For example lamb flaps. In his own words, Mr Maxton-Graham said that lamb flaps contain almost 90 per cent of fat but very small portion of protein. It does not help the body but destroys it. It is an unhealthy and disgusting food with so much fat in it which does not help the body at all. However, the public claimed that sales of fast foods such as lamb flaps contribute in a big way to their families’ income (Kelola, 2009). 

Traditionally, Papua New Guinea’s disease profile was dominated by communicable or infectious diseases alone. However, due to transition of economy and increase in urbanisation, it is likely that PNG would face a double burden health crisis. That is, persistence of communicable diseases and growing burden from lifestyle diseases.

Currently, as mentioned in the NHP 2011-2020, Vol1, Policies and Strategies, p.12, admission cases from these NCDs were low in frequency. As a result, there were not much planning and consideration given to NCDs. However, the plan goes on and said that mortality and morbidity from these NCDs were expected to be prevalent in the next decade. Surprisingly, PNG is already being hit by NCDs sooner than we expected.

Lifestyle diseases such as diabetes 2, obesity, high blood pressure and ailments of the heart are expected to be prevalent in Papua New Guinea in the next decade due to high penetration of energy-rich Western foods and markets, excessive consumption of Western foods and urbanisation (National Health Plan, 2011-2020).

The National Research Institute warns these lifestyle diseases are fast becoming major causes of death for many Papua New Guineans (Vincent, 2013). These diseases are robbing the country of many of its productive workers between the ages of 35 and 50. For a fledgling economy such as PNG, that cannot be good news because it means more and more of our brightest and best talents are succumbing to preventable diseases and, thus, leaving voids in experience and quality in the nation’s educated and skilled workforce (Lifestyle Diseases a killer in Papua New Guinea, 2013).

Up to date there is little done to address this issue and many of these people know little about these diseases, as mentioned by Dr. Amana (Vincent, 2013b). There are not much awareness and advocating done to address this issue. Lifestyle diseases are here to stay and would affect peoples’ lives. A 2008 country report on NCDs revealed that 57 900 people (PNG) die from NCDs alone. These give raise to serious questions like;

—  Are Papua New Guineans aware that whatever they take into their bodies have impacts on their health?

—  Why eating fast foods?

—  Is there enough awareness done on investing in proper eating habits?

—  Are there any control measures in place to regulate import and sale of fast foods?

—  Are the fast food retailers following PNG food safety measures before selling fast foods?

So what now?

How to protect the food choices of the people is a big Question with capital letter Q. If we go back and take a closer look at the National Health Plan 2011-2020, Volume 1, Policies and Strategies, we would find that NCDs were not mentioned as a Key Result Area (KRA) of their own. This is a dilemma here because how can resources be mobilised and plan to curd this new trend of diseases if they are not being taken seriously as a treat to healthy lifestyle. It should have been made a KRA so that we are prepared in advance. So instead of having eight KRAs, we will have nine KRAs. The ninth one will be “Reducing the burden of Non Communicable Diseases and should have the following objectives;

·         Effective Surveillance and Monitoring of NCDs

·         Ensuring retailers of fast foods comply with PNG food safety standards

·         Regular food inspection by food safety officers, environmental health officers or similar professionals

·         Scale up prevention and treatment of NCD cases

·         Ensuring effective legislations on import and sale of fast foods

Recommendation

Making “Reducing the burden of NCDs” a KRA would help transform the island of PNG into a healthy, middle-income earning country.

 

 

References

Christensen, E., T (2013). What are lifestyle diseases? Retrieved June 9, 2013, from http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-lifestyle-diseases.htm

Fast Foods Facts, (2013). Retrieved June 9, 2013, from http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/food/fastfood.html

Magee ,E. (2013). Junk food facts. Retrieved June 9, 2013, from http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/junk-food-facts

World Health Organisation (2012). Global Status Report on Non Communicable Diseases. Retrieved June 12, 2013 from http://www.who.com/global+status+report+on+non+communicable+diseases/pdf

Wale’s top doctor proposes fast food ban near schools, (2013). Retrieved June 9, 2013, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-21121829

Kelola, T( 2009). Majority oppose bid to ban lamb flaps. Retrieved June 10, 2013, from http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20110413/news09.htm

Government of Papua New Guinea, (2010) National Health Plan, 2011-2020 Vol1., Policies and Strategies. Port Moresby: Government Printing.

Vincent, S. (2013).Lifestyle Diseases rapidly increasing in PNG. Retrieved June 10, 2013, from http://www.emtv.com.pg/news-app/item/lifestyle-diseases-rapidly-increasing-in-png

 

 

Love on the first sight

You were going to church one afternoon and you saw the most breathtaking creature of exquisite beauty approaching you from up ahead. Let us put ourselves in the place of a boy. The moment he saw her, his breath stopped. Time seemed to standstill and everything around her stood upright with their heads bowed as she passes by. His eyes glued on the tenderness of her body as she approached him in even strides. It was Christmas Eve and she was on her way to church. Her body radiated from the evening sun and she glowed with great beauty. Wow! Am I seeing an angel sent from heaven above? He thought to himself. He can’t help it but kept on looking at her as she closes in. He was spellbound and could not move an inch. She was the most gorgeous of things god has ever created. The thought of her charming face and her crystal blue eyes troubled him a lot. He can’t eat well and has trouble sleeping. The love he has for her was so intense. That’s love on the first sight.

Wherever, it might be, be it a church, a school or a market place, it was there that you met someone you thought to be the love of your life.

From the example above, both of you accidently bumped into each other one morning in church. She laughed and smiled at you and you did the same. Then, on every Sunday you go to church and became a faithful Christian. Funny, it was not the reason but to see her every Sunday because she worships in the same church. Soon you give excuses to hang around her place. She saw you and did the same.

Before long you started seeing a lot of each other and become more than just friends. Both of you are love birds. It was maybe in your fifth or sixth grade. As the years wear on two of you started making plans like finishing school, get a paid job, get married, have a family and live a happy life. How romantic it would be. You always picture her in your dreams and she did the same. The love you have for each other is so intense that you would not let anything come in between you two.

The heart breaking moment came when two of you were selected to continue in separate high schools. Before you two part ways, you met and promised to write to each other or call each other. Both of you were so in love that despite the distance between you two, love you have for each other is so strong.

After twelfth grade, both of you graduated and were selected again to different institutions. Both of you can’t help it but promised to be faithful to each other until the time is right. However, later, you found out that things turned out to be against the great deal of plans you made in your youthful days. She goes around with another guy. The love you have for her was washed down the drain and left a hole in your heart. It hurts so much that you don’t even wanted to see her again or have anything to do with her. You burn everything that reminds you of her and promise yourself never to love another woman again. It was then that you recall your father’s words; love on the first sight can be deceitful.

This is just a scenario of being loved on the first sight. If you are a male or female reading this post, it might be different for you. Yours can have a different ending as well. How funny love can be. It drives people mad and they do crazy things.

 

Life of a student

If you were once a student reading this post, be pleased to know that life has been shaped for the better because you lived.

Being a student is full of fun and of course has its own downsides. Most students leaving their homes for the first time is somewhat a bit disconcerting. You feel that your parents or friends are not there to fend you. At first you feel like giving up. But not too worry because it happens to every new student. I once felt the same when I went to Passam National High and then to Divine Word University.

Going to a university is quite a unique experience for every new student. It’s one of those rare occasions that cling to you for the rest of your life. The thoughts of meeting new people, the excitements and to realise that you are now on your own makes every new student wanted to tell their own share of stories. The experiences are often memorable for some reasons. Things like people you met on the first day at school and the mistakes you made are worth keeping.

As often you would hang around with friends from your previous school or students from the same village. For some people it is not the same. I remembered the first person I met was someone from Central province. We met when we were sitting in the queue trying to get ourselves registered. Later I found out that he was a smoker so we had no trouble getting along together.

For others, your best friend might be the one you accidently bumped into on your way to the library or someone who smiled at you because you looked funny or because both of you have the same passion for reggae music. Whatever the reasons, it is always through awkward moments that you met someone you call your best friend.

The fun begins when you get acquainted with your roommate. Initial meeting often lasts for hours. I can’t remember exactly what me and my roommate talked about the first night. I guess we talked about smoke, betel nut, food and other “boy marn stuff”. For some it may be about some high level discussions of secrets and sweet hearts back home. Anyway, I did enjoy his company. He was doing his second year when I enrolled and I looked upon him as a “big brother”. He seemed to know a lot about the school.

Greatest of friends, 2011 Graduation

To the students who are dying of enrolling into a university, life in a university is not so different from that of high schools. One thing that makes it slightly different is more freedom is given to the students. That is how I would describe life in a university. Your learning is in your own hands.

Other things are similar. There are sports clubs in universities where you can join. Also there are extracurricular activities and student services there to look after your wellbeing in university. Paramount of all is the academic stuff like assignments, tests and lectures which are everyday activities.

Apart from that social life will seem to fill the greater part of a university life if you do not budget your time properly. Friends are always around. There are all kinds of friends. Some are helpful while others are not great friends. Otherwise, everything is the same. You get drunk over the weekends while there are piles of work waiting for you, you met someone you thought to be that one and fall in love, go dating, dancing or partying. No one cares about that, parents are not around to see you, you thought to yourself.

For me, the greatest of all friends are my classmates, the class of Health Management 2010-13. They are cool and we have no problem hanging around together. Beyond that are things I do not like.

 

HM class of 2011 party at Island Peak, Madang

K6 billion Loan-Sinister?

Opposition Leader, Hon. Belben Nama challenged the O'Neil/Dion Government to explain to the people the reason for borrowing a loan of K6 billion from Chinese Exim Bank.

The loan entails an interest rate of K460 million per annum. This pose a risk to the young and developing economy of PNG.

O'Neil/Dion Governement explained that the money would be used for infrastructure development in PNG.

However, Department of Treasury, the legal agency authorised by the Public Finance Management Act tp look after public funds was not aware of this deal. Furthermore, PM intends to convert Department of Works into a state owned enterprise to accommodate for the deposit of the money where it would be used outside of the Department of Treasury.

Is this a fishy deal done by today's government under the pretext of national interests?

Adapter from:PNGfacts.com

Open Day

5^th May of every year is a significant date on Divine Word University’s (DWU) calendar. It is the Open Day. It is the time when all the students and staffs of DWU from respective academic departments showcase what they learn in lectures to the general public.

The public here in Madang are very fortunate as there is wealth of information and knowledge available free of charge to them. The displays comprise of knowledge in the field of Health Sciences, Arts and Business and Information System.

 

Apart from them, there are partners who are invited to part take on this eventful day. Partners include RD Tuna, Bank South Pacific (BSP), ANZ Bank, Ramu NiCo, World Vision, PNG IMR, Hertz Car Rentals, Madang Resort, Travel Air, Fire Department and the list goes on. Also presented is the Arts and Craft sector.

During the display, judges come around to assess each faculty and at the end of the day prices are awarded to the best performing faculties.

Health Management Student during the Open Day, 2012

So next time you are in Madang, take time out on 5^th May and see for yourself what DWU offers on this eventful day.

Increase in Crimes against women: Concern for all

Recently, PNG media was filled with horrifying stories of women being murdered, raped and burned alive. This is becoming a daily occurrence and it is happening right before the eyes of everyone.  How do we define a woman? An adult female human being, some would say. But there is more to it than just a female human being. She is a friend, a mother to children, a person who has feelings, a wife, a sister or a friendly neighbour. She is a member of the society which we live in and has every right to talk freely, to be listened to, to be respected, to be loved, to make choices for her best interests and to walk freely. However, the opposite is happening right here, right now and is a total disgrace to everyone.

For instance, online National Newspaper dated 29^th April, 2013, reported a murder case in which a young single parent mother was murdered in her family garden on a Friday when she went to do gardening with her one year old baby girl. The incident took place in Wanam Farm, Morobe Province. Her body was found some hundred meters away from her baby the next day. Luckily, the baby survived. But the culprits who did this for reasons unknown were still at large.

She was the second one to be killed in Lae in a fortnight. In a separate case, an Eastern Highlands woman was also killed and burned before being dumped off near Kunai Block, Morobe Province, similarly, for unknown reasons.

In other instances, brutal killing of women accused of sorcery is escalating at such a phenomenal rate. The National Newspaper, 2013, reported that three Bougainville women accused of sorcery were killed. Apart from that many other women accused of sorcery in other parts of PNG, such as Lae and in the Highlands Region were killed or burned alive before the watchful eyes of the public.

Incidence of rape is also increasing and is happening almost everywhere, to any women considered vulnerable. Recent stories in the newspapers reported that an Australian man was murdered in Mount Hagen during a break and enter and his Filipino girl friend was packed rape. In other case, an American researcher was also packed raped by nine men on Karkar Island, Madang Province. The news as reached the global community and the leaders of Madang Province are very unhappy.

A mother grieves the death of her 25-year-old daughter who died at the Emergency section of the Port Moresby General Hospital after being raped on the street by members of the Raskol gang. The bandits stabbed her several times and she died without regaining consciousness.

This inhumane and cannibal acts are portraying a bad picture of PNG to the global community. Why calling ourselves a Christian country and not upholding our Christian beliefs. Think of the poor child, she will be growing up without a mother, think of the women who suffered in the hands of heartless people who accused them of practicing sorcery and think of the women being raped for no good reasons.

How many more women be killed before we call them sisters, how much more tears to be shed by them before we call them friends, how many more women be raped before we call them sisters, how many more motherless children be left behind before we can help, how many more women be burned, tortured, or murdered before we can called PNG a Christian country? The answer, my friends, is you and yourselves. Do the right thing and do not harbour those responsible for their crimes against women. Bring them out and let them face the full force of the law for the crimes they make. It is the role of everyone to protect this vulnerable population.

Women are not created from the bones of the arm so that they can be punched, nor from the bones of the leg so that they can be kicked but from the rib bone, to be close to the heart, to be loved and treasured.

 

 Globalisation and its impacts on Health in PNG

Introduction

Individuals or communities whether healthy or not is determined by many factors combined together. These factors are called determinants of health. Factors such as where people live, state of the environment, genetics, income and education level and the relationship with families and friends (The Determinants of Health, 2011). All these factors can be classified into three main categories. They are economic, socio-cultural and ecological determinants of health (Huynen, Martens, Hilderink, 2005 a).  Traditionally, founders of modern economy argued that impacts of globalisation are limited to the movement of goods and services for the purposes of economy only (Deaton, 2004). However, this trend has changed as globalisation not only affects the economy but the culture, politics, social life, ecology and of course the organisation of health services and facilities of a country (Globalisation Pros and Cons, 2013). The need for good health is now accepted as an international goal (Huynen, Martens, Hilderink, 2005 b) and this makes it possible to classify globalisation as a new determinant of health. Globalisation is the constellation of processes by which nations, businesses and people are becoming more connected and interdependent across the globe through increased economic integration and communication, cultural diffusion and travel (Labonte, 2011). This process, has argued by economists, would bring equality and liberty, flow of capital goods and services, infusion of new ideas, technologies and global economic growth (Azevedo & Johnson, 2011). Globalisation of the health care system would include openness to foreign health goods and services, ideas, policies and people which were once a national function (Globalisation of Health, 2011). This paper would discuss health and globalisation in history, globalisation and health system change, impacts of globalisation on PNG Health and an analysis of the impacts of globalisation on PNG health

Health and Globalisation in History

Indeed, the idea of globalisation is quite old and has been changing gradually over centuries of trade and international commerce (Michael Noll, 2001). It can be questioned that would the new trend of globalisation today be different from that of distant past. As identified by Noll, 2011, globalisation of today is much more efficient than in the past due to the movement of information, goods and services using fast moving, conducive mode of transportation compared to manual powered boats, horses and camels used in the past. The production process in the past was dominated by people who were replaced by machines today. The use of information technology and telecommunication in globalisation today has also helped a lot compared to the past. Up to date, as argued by Deaton, 2004, never in the critical discussions of the impacts of globalisation did the economists mention how globalisation would affect the health of the people. Diseases had been an unwelcome companion of trade in the past which has been documented to go to the extent of nearly killing an entire population of countries. For example, plague in Athens in 430 BC which killed nearly two thirds of the population and the black rats which transmitted bubonic and pneumonic plague to Europe in 1347 (Deaton, 2001b). The suspected sources of disease outbreaks at that time were the trading ships, animals and merchants. From then, some countries in Europe, such as Italy, setup first quarantine measures on national and international trades in an attempt to control reoccurrence of the epidemic. Foreigners were expelled from these countries, example Jews, and access to trade was restricted. However, it did not last long as the need for health is second to that of trade. Dispute between health and trade broke in 1652 and gates had to be opened for trade (Deaton, 2001c). PNG has never undergo such an ordeal so would the impacts of globalisation on PNG health be the same of that in the past or would it be more devastating are some questions still left unanswered. For now, experiences encountered by other countries can be used as a guide to be prepared before the advent of full scale globalisation of the health care system.

Impacts of Globalisation on Health Care System

As mentioned earlier, health sector has been a national focus before globalisation. It cannot be disagreed that globalisation is bad. Globalisation liberates flow of health consumables such as medicines, equipments, human resources, policies and information across borders of countries. Countries form alliance with each other for dependency, aid and paramount of all is survival. However, there are also adverse consequences of such coalition. Examples of such consequences may include mobility of health professionals and patients between countries, establishments of private and foreign companies providing health services, use of new technologies to provide health services (Globalisation of Health, 2011), transmission of new diseases, restructure of health care system, changes in people’s and worker’s disease patterns and utilisation of health services (Diep, Huong & Tu, 2004).

Analysis of the impacts

Movement of health professionals abroad would certainly create problem for PNG. What happens is that inadequate number of them would be available to cater for the health needs of the people. For example, United Kingdom recruiting nurses from developing countries. People may fear coloured doctors and would not discuss their health problems openly or do the worse thing, avoid them. If the patients decided to travel abroad seeking better medical care, it would be costly. Before it is late, PNG should develop strategies to retain its skilled health professionals before they start migrating. Similarly, establishments of private and foreign health care practitioners would create competition between themselves and the health services already provided by the government. People may resort to their health services and it is not wise for the government to provide health services which people are not benefiting from. It would be a waste of resources. Who knows, foreigners would also be providing health services which are not consistent with PNG Health Laws like selling expired medicines or dummies to the local people. Many people would not want that and would pressure the government to address such things. Furthermore, use of new technologies like robots and machines in hospitals would chase the people away. Besides, how can PNG afford to offer such expensive technologies? If it does, these technologies would only be used by those who can offer the attached cost of using these services while those who cannot afford would be left out. To address such issues, should the government provide two types of health services, one for the lucky ones and the other for the unfortunate ones? Again it would be a waste of resources and duplication of services which is economically bad. Therefore, the government should plan carefully before taking globalisation of health aboard. Access to foreign foods and drinks can lead to new lifestyle disease such as diabetes. Environmental pollution by chemical wastes from factories can be a threat to public health. During the development of economy and the society, certain health problems such as injuries, accidents, cancer, sexually transmitted infections and heart problems can be increased as argued by Diep, Huong & Tu, 2004. Merchants travelling in can bring new diseases such as chikungunya, similar to malaria but more lethal, into the country. This can alter the disease patterns of the people and the working class, causing the government to spend more on treating these varieties of diseases. If nothing is done quickly they can kill the whole population as in the past. Restructure of health services is also obvious. Currently, PNG is trying to implement “One System Tasol” under the new Provincial Health Authority to integrate public hospital services and rural health services into one system. However, not every province has successfully implemented this Act because it requires expert knowledge and resources. This concept is adopted from foreign countries and it worked well for them but may not for us. Not forgetting that people may fear losing their jobs during the restructure. All these are adverse consequences of globalisation if the government is not careful to avoid.

Concluding thoughts

Many questions and issues can arise from globalisation. Role of globalisation in mass media has significantly influences a lot of people that they become threatened and display acts of terrorism. PNG government should question the movement for globalisation before accepting it as it might be leading to new world order by super global governments with the intentions of exploitations and threats to national sovereignty. If that is to be true, around the globe, people would be fighting for nationalism. The way out for PNG is still unknown as it requires in-depth research and study. For now, let us use the experiences other countries have faced and plan in advance on how to use globalisation to our advantage.

Recommendation

One way to limit the negative impacts of globalisation in health is to reform and develop health system to suit the onset of globalisation. This should be the priority of health sector in the coming years and it requires comprehensive review of health policies and laws in order to meet the people’s increasing needs of both quantity and quality health care (Diep, Huong & Tu, 2004)

 

 

 

 

Getting ready for a field trip to Yagaum HSC,Ambenob District,Madang Province,2013