The head of the Eastern Highlands branch of the Papua New Guinea Nurses Association says staff are still providing critical care services at Goroka Base Hospital, despite the withdrawal of some services as a protest.
Lanson Hinanu says in February nurses and doctors called for the hospital board to confront staff shortages and a lack of critical material, such as blood products.
He says nothing has happenend and this has meant patients have to go to other provinces for hospital care or go without.
Mr Hinanu says since Tuesday protesting staff members have been vetting prospective patients at the hospital's gates and turning away those that are not critical.
"We don't want to miss out any patients who really want to get help from us, but our focus is not to penalise the patient, it is for the management to come and see us and see OK this is what we can do to help the patients. And of course the public and patients are in support because a lot of them have lost loved ones moving out to the other hospital."
