Health Minister Elias Kapavore has told Parliament that the K25 million allocated by the National Government for the proposed Central Provincial Hospital has not been released because the project has yet to commence.
Responding to a supplementary question from Central Governor Rufina Peter during Question Time, Mr. Kapavore said government funds would only be released once the necessary requirements were met and the project was ready to proceed.
The minister said the Government remained committed to funding the hospital project and confirmed that the allocation would be released once outstanding issues had been resolved and construction was ready to begin.
Governor Peter told Parliament that her office had not received any portion of the K25 million allocation and sought clarification on the status of the funding.
In response, Mr. Kapavore said the Government does not release public funds without proper guarantees and accountability measures to ensure projects are delivered as intended.
He explained that delays to the project were linked to matters raised in correspondence from the Central Provincial Government, but said those issues had now been addressed.
“Everything is sorted out on the ground, and once it is clear, the government allocation will be released to start the project,” he said.
Mr. Kapavore stressed that public funds must be properly managed and tied to project implementation to ensure accountability and successful delivery.
During the same session, National Capital District Governor Powes Parkop raised concerns about the increasing pressure on Port Moresby General Hospital and the absence of a Level 5 hospital serving the National Capital District, Central and Gulf provinces.
Governor Parkop asked for an update on the proposed Level 5 hospital project in Port Moresby, noting that the project had already been officially launched.
Mr. Kapavore said progress on the project had been affected by land-related issues, although the design work and planning processes had already been completed.
He called on the Departments of Lands, Works and Highways to expedite the remaining processes to enable construction to proceed on schedule.
The minister reiterated that Port Moresby General Hospital remains the country’s Level 6 National Referral Hospital and should primarily focus on specialized healthcare services, including cancer treatment and other major illnesses.
He highlighted the Government’s allocation of K200 million towards cancer treatment services at Port Moresby General Hospital, describing it as a significant investment in specialized healthcare.
Mr. Kapavore said one of the key challenges facing PMGH was that patients with all types of medical conditions continued to seek treatment there due to limited services at lower-level facilities.
He said the Government was committed to expanding Level 5 hospital services in Port Moresby, Central Province and Gulf Province to reduce pressure on PMGH and improve healthcare access for the growing population.