PNG's health system on the verge of collapse as COVID-19 cases surge
The health system in Papua New Guinea is on the brink of collapse as COVID-19 cases triple in a matter of weeks and increasing numbers of healthcare staff are testing positive, says Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF).
"We are calling on organisations in the region to act quickly and mobilise to increase their support to Papua New Guinea."
“While it’s too late to contain the current outbreak, we need vaccinations as fast as possible in Papua New Guinea to mitigate the impact of the outbreak on the healthcare system and prevent or at least limit further outbreaks."
Australia is now locally producing millions of doses of AstraZeneca vaccine which could be shared with Papua New Guinea immediately as it battles this spiralling outbreak.
The Australian Government has pledged to soon deliver 8,000 AstraZeneca vaccines, but this is not enough to cover the country’s 30,000 health workers and ancillary staff, plus other high-risk groups, and is too late for the many healthcare professionals who are already infected.