The Asian Development Bank has approved a $US195 million finance package to help improve healthcare in Papua New Guinea.
Photo: Ness Kerson/madNESS Photography for AusAID
The country is in the middle of a health crisis with many health centres forced to close and hospitals running out of life saving drugs.
The bank said PNG's poor health outcomes and deteriorating health care system were the result of volatile and unpredictable health financing as well as weaknesses in government systems.
The bank's Pacific director of urban, social development and public management Emma Veve said the new funding aimed to change that.
"What we see is a lot of preventable deaths in rural PNG. So we want to help build the confidence in the health centres," Ms Veve said.
"Lots of people think 'will I really spend money on the transport to the health centre?' Because they're not confident that when they get there they will get the service they need," she said.
"So we're working to change that perception and provide rural PNG with the health service they deserve."
The ADB said the loans would go towards fixing up rural health care infrastructure, improving the availability of medical supplies, supporting new health partnerships, and smart technology.
Medicines late due to funding problems in PNG
Meanwhile, Papua New Guinea's provincial health authority says it's concerned about delays in getting medical supplies to health centres in Morobe Province.
It said the problem appeared to be due to a logistics contractor not being paid by the Department of Health on time.
The authority said four districts were facing a critical shortage of medicines and equipment and it has asked the logistics agency to do an urgent distribution of supplies to the affected areas.
The distribution company told the Post Courier it could not afford to deliver the medical goods until it is paid.
It hopes funds will be received today Thursday so that schedules can be finalised and the supplies dispatched.
