Papua New Guinea Health Insurance News

Health Care System Information

Papua New Guinea is a developing nation and having only recently gained independence in 1975, there are problems in trying to develop modern healthcare infrastructure. Papua New Guinea is considered to have the most problematic health status in its geographical reason according to the WHO; it is struggling with the issue of numerous widespread diseases. Malaria, Dengue Fever, Typhoid, Tuberculosis, Cholera still afflict thousands of Papua New Guineans every year and 1.5% of the population are living with HIV/AIDS, causing the WHO to declare it a generalized epidemic. Maternal death rates remain high, with about 300 deaths per 100,000 live births; the mortality rate for children under 5 years of age is also high at 93 deaths per 100,000 live births.

Healthcare in Papua New Guinea varies between the medical facilities in Port Moresby and other large cities, and aid posts in more remote areas. Health services in Papua New Guinea are provided by government and church providers which get their funding from the public sector, company or enterprise-based providers, such as mines providing their own services, a small private medical sector in some big cities and traditional healers.

The National Department of Health’s main focus is on public health policy, setting standards, training new medical personal and monitoring; it is only directly responsible for the 19 provincial hospitals. Local and provincial governments are charged with managing what is known as “rural health services” which includes rural hospitals, health centers and sub-centers and aid posts. The local and provincial governments are in charge of implementing policy and funding programs for healthcare, but given that local governments have a number of conflicting priorities, rural health services all across the country are chronically underfunded.

The National Department of Health has number of healthcare priorities which are put forth in its plan for 2009-2013. These include:

• Full immunization of every child under 1 year of age.
• Reducing maternal mortality rates in problem districts.
• Reducing the prevalence of malaria in locations where it is endemic.
• Reducing the rate of infection for HIV/AIDS and other STIs.
• Reducing Tuberculosis in the worst affected areas.
• Increasing accessibility to health services for urban poor.

In the year 2000, Papua New Guinea had 48 urban clinics, 508 large health centers and 1820 aid posts. According to the National Department of Health, these medical facilities are within reach of 96% of the population. However, considering the fact that only about 3.5% of the nation’s roads are paved, actually accessing rural healthcare may prove more difficult. Technically, public health services are supposed to be free of charge to citizens, although small fees are usually charged for outpatient services, and there is also no private health insurance in Papua New Guinea.

Underfunding is a serious problem for the healthcare network in Papua New Guinea, with the amount of money spent on health as a percent of GDP dropping from 4.4% in 2001 to 3.2% in 2006. Despite the fact that about 80% of provincial spending on health services went towards salaries in 2006, the number of nurses per population remains low at 15 for every 10,000 person, and the number of doctors per population is a tragic 1.26 per 10,000 people with some provinces and districts having no doctors at all. The lack of medical professionals is often compounded by a weak distribution chain for medical supplies, meaning drugs and other supplies are often out of stock while equipment may suffer sporadic failures. A survey in 2006 pointed to the vulnerability of the pharmaceutical sector to corruption, and there are concerns that the prices paid for drugs may be several times higher than what they are available for in international markets.

While medical facilities in large urban areas should be able to provide adequate emergency care in some cases, many serious cases may require you to be transported to Australia for treatment which can be very expensive. Most hospitals and doctors in Papua New Guinea expect immediate payment in cash for treatment. It is recommended that you have a Papua New Guinea international insurance policy that covers emergency medical evacuations and also that you should gain an entry visa for Australia prior to your visit to Papua New Guinea, in case you need to be transported there for medical treatment.

If you need more information about Papua New Guinea, international health insurance plans we offer in the country, or want a free Papua New Guinea health insurance quote, please contact one of our expert advisers today.

For more information about Papua New Guinea international insurance plans we offer, or want a free quote, please contact one of our expert advisers today.

Can you offer private health cover for expat employees?
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Category: Coverage , Maternity , Pre-existing , Hospital , Emergency Evacuation , USA , in-patient , out-patient , Group , Company , Disease , Travel , Deductible , Premiums , Treatment , Insurance Company	Read Answer Here
Can I get international insurance in Austria?
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Category: Coverage	Read Answer Here