Unions representing health workers in Papua New Guinea say their members will walk off the job next week unless the Prime Minister steps down.
Transcript
Unions representing health workers in Papua New Guinea say their members will walk off the job next week unless the Prime Minister steps down.
The threat follows the same call from a civil society group with links to the maritime and aviation sectors, and a two month class boycott by students that resulted in the closure of PNG's three main universities.
Ben Robinson Drawbridge spoke with the General Secretary of the National Doctors Association, Sam Yockopua.
SAM YOCKOPUA: When the aviation sector, the maritime workers union and the energy workers made their announcement on Sunday, it made us fast track our call. But it's the right timing for us to go in as a synchronised manner. We're talking about Air Niugini , the major airline operating in the country and we're talking about maritime, the shipping. And so if the airlines and the shipping systems are down, effectively the country is crippled. The National Doctors Association in full support from the Papua New Guinea Nurses Association and six other union groups in the health sector, we are putting in our petition, we have got three parts, and we will give seven days for the Prime Minister to step down.
First one, is the call for the Prime Minister to step down because of all the various allegations and grossly publicised issues that most of them are within the courts. The office of the Prime Minister must be cleared. No one single person owns that office it belongs to the citizens of this country and anyone implicated must clear himself or herself before going into that office. That is our first petition.
Second petition is the government has indiscriminately slashed budget across the board, especially the health sector. How can the government be blind to cut over 30 percent of budget? That means the killing of 30 percent plus human beings. That's genocide. We as health professional we cannot allow that to happen. Eighty percent of hospitals throughout the country are literally operating on red light. They introduced their free health care policy without any planning whatsoever, and now they have slashed over 30 percent of the budget. We are professionals, we cannot be led by blind people. That's why we have to take this approach and tell them that this is not right, that the citizens of this country deserve better.
Number three, the third petition is in fact the medical school has been shut down. The only medical school in the country, which is part of the University of Papua New Guinea. Which will mean that his year we will not produce about 50 doctors, we will not produce about five dentists, 30 pharmacists, 19 specialist nurses and about 30 specialist doctors, ranging from surgeons, paediatricians, emergency consultants, gynaecologists and so forth. This will result in huge imbalance in the distribution of man power and human resources. This government is failing to understand this.
And so we will give seven days notice, which will go in line with the pilots and the movement by civil society. And so we are hoping that a good prime minister at least comes to some sense.
BEN ROBINSON DRAWBRIDGE: In seven days time what is your ultimatum, will you call a strike for all health workers?
SY: Essentially, yes. We've got to make the point very clear and strong in no uncertain terms to demonstrate that this country is heading to chaos and self-destruction.
BRD: Sir, to strike would seem contrary to a doctor's Hippocratic oath. It must be a very difficult decision to take?
SY: Absolutely correct, but when we weigh up the balance, it is beneficial in the long run. It is important that we come up with this really strong call.
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