Gun-related injuries in Papua New Guinea are estimated to cost the government nearly 7 million US dollars a year.
The Post Courier newspaper reports that the President of the Medical Society of PNG, Dr Mathias Sapuri, announced the estimate at yesterday's launch of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence.
Dr Sapuri says the money spent on gun-related injuries is unbudgeted for by the government.
He says it should instead be used to protect women and children dying from preventable diseases by providing services such as immunisation for children.
He says doctors regularly see that gun-related injuries are costly to treat, requiring technical experts and are often life threatening.
The victim also suffers from disability and emotional trauma for life, as there is no counseling services available for such people.
Presently, there are 5000 gun-related violence cases being seen by doctors throughout the country.
