Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape has again urged the people, especially health workers, to get vaccinated, and for health authorities to establish a better communication system between the provinces and Waigani.
“While vaccine remains optional, I am encouraging everyone to get vaccinated. (Coronavirus) vaccines save lives,” he said.
“There is a relative increase in (the Covid-19) vaccination, but it is still a tiny margin. We still have a long way to go before we reach the target many countries have already reached for their people.”
He appealed to all health workers to be vaccinated because of the “high-risk” they face in their workplace.
He sounded the warning as he ordered a major step-up in vaccination implementation, and a better communication channel between the Health Department and provincial health authorities.
He wants to see a stronger performance by all stakeholders to contain the fast-spreading Coronavirus (Covid-19) and its deadlier Delta variant.
“We must dramatically increase our roll-out of the vaccines around the country. There is a lot that we have done well since the pandemic struck us in early 2020, but there is still a lot more that we need to do,” he said.
“This war against Covid-19 will not be won by departments in Waigani issuing orders to people (in the provinces) but through a stronger working partnership between stakeholders.
“Our authorities and health workers are on the battlefront. They know what must be done to prevent more people from getting sick and dying, and what is needed to increase vaccination.”
He mooted the idea of providing insurance for frontline health care workers – doctors, nurses and those directly involved in handling the pandemic response.
Source: The National
Next: Puma Energy renews its support commitment to St John Ambulance