Madang Hospital. Like many hospitals in PNG, Madang Hospital is also struggling with shortages. (file image). Photo: US Navy
The acting manager of one of Papua New Guinea's main hospitals says it is on the brink of collapse.
Workers at Modillon Hospital in Madang say there is severe mismanagement, a lack of funding, and unsafe working conditions.
The hospital is meant to provide services for a catchment of half a million people.
Acting hospital manager John Mark Jeremiah said Modillon is no longer functioning as a proper referral facility, and he is blaming this on poor leadership and outside interference.
He told the Post-Courier that ''professional standards have collapsed".
Staff have reports that essential medical tools, such as portable X-ray machines and anaesthetic equipment, are broken.
They say sterilisation systems are also down, and water and electricity services are unreliable.
Toilets and ablution blocks are in poor condition, and there are serious hygiene concerns.
Doctors also reported being left off the payroll, while others have been evicted from staff housing due to unpaid rent.
This is despite reports that five sixths of the hospital's funding goes to wages, leaving little for hospital operations.
