Can the churches save our closest neighbour from a total COVID catastrophe?

Readers of On Line Opinion will be aware of my often expressed concern at the total inability of the "failed" Papua New Guinea health system to manage the nation's many health challenges resulting in higher infant mortality and the growth of diseases such as typhoid, malaria and even polio..

I have also expressed more than just concern that the spread of the Cov-19 pandemic, and especially the Delta variant, could not be effectively managed by national and provincial authorities and would absolutely overwhelm an already inadequate hospitals and health care system nationwide.

I gain no comfort whatsoever from the reality that both concerns have been confirmed, with the Covid position tragically worsening by the day, with a rising death toll, including among young unvaccinated people. And because of the pressure on beds and intensive care units from pandemic patients, other vital health services have been suspended or cancelled.

The response of the PNG National Government and the 23 Provincial health authorities has been wholly inadequate. Nothing better illustrates this than the reality that just over 200,000 people out of an adult population of six million has received one vaccination - with probably no more than 50,000 fully vaccinated.

The vaccination rate among hospital and health centre nurses and other workers is probably no more than 20 per cent, despite all health care workers getting vaccine priority. Vaccine resistance in the health sector remains alarming and is adding to pressures on major hospitals which are over-crowded and short of key medicines and services.

Australia has been the major provider of vital support for Papua New Guinea and Pacific Island nations as they confront the pandemic. We have given substantial cash support, almost unlimited vaccines, oxygen and ventilators and expert support.

In the case of Fiji, we have played the key role, beside the Fiji National Government, in helping the island nation achieve a double vaccination rate of over 80 per cent, enabling international tourism to resume by Christmas.

But the position in Papua New Guinea is deteriorating, and deteriorating rapidly. It is beyond the capacity of Australia to resolve, though as I have suggested we need to increase our assistance, but target it more to addressing gaping problems in the health system and not just providing cash which is not guaranteed to go where it is most in need!

But there is one other way Australia can help our neighbour in its moment of growing need.

Earlier this year I highlighted the unique role the Christian Churches play in Papua New Guinea, where Christian adherence among the population is above 90 per cent. In many rural communities it is 100 per cent.

Close to half the hospital and health care services for the nine million men, women and children of Papua New Guinea are provided by the churches – notably the Catholic, Lutheran, United and SDA churches. The Salvation Army and a number of other churches also provide specialist health and welfare services.

Remarkably, only a fraction of the cost of providing hospital and health care services is met by the National Government. With no real private health insurance system church run hospitals and health centres must raise their own funds, or secure support from overseas church partners. And they also rely on volunteers, and missionary workers, as they have done for generations.

Some months ago, Australia broke with tradition and announced that direct funding would be provided to Papua New Guinea's church-run hospitals, health centres, and some schools. The announced commitment was around $21 million. At the time I warmly welcomed this significant, and long overdue, policy change.

In recent weeks, the PNG daily media, and social media, have highlighted just how utterly hopeless the PNG Government's management of the health system is today – and has been for some years. Major hospitals have reported inadequate supplies of medicines, vital equipment and oxygen. Doctors and nurses in many cases have not been paid for months.

Last week I cited the case of how Goroka Hospital, where there have been hundreds of Covid cases, and a significant number of deaths, had run out of oxygen – because the national health department owed the oxygen supplier around K14 million. I reported – inaccurately – it had been paid a day or two after the issue was highlighted in the media.

It took a further week for senior Ministers to meet and agree to "process" the payment. In the meantime, a generous private sector paid for the oxygen the Gorokoa Hospital, and other major Hospitals, desperately needed.

But I discovered during my research for this piece that even church-run hospitals were desperately short of medicines and funds. A number had closed and others were threatening to close.

It now appears that one of the reasons church run hospitals are short of funds is that promised national government funding has either been delayed or not delivered full stop!

It is possible that when the PNG Government noticed Australia is providing some direct assistance, it decided it wasn't urgent for it to do so!

It is clear the Australian Government is considering providing further assistance to PNG as the pandemic worsens. The last thing we should do is just send more cash.

What Australia should do is look at providing direct funding to private sector suppliers of medicines, oxygen and ventilators.

But there is an even better way we can assist the good people of Papua New Guinea in their time of read need.

As I have said the churches provide around half the nation's health services. With additional funding they could do more and definitely more to ease pressure on the public hospital and health systems, especially in rural and remote areas.

The federal government should convene a summit with Australia's church leaders and directly involve them in helping their PNG counterparts with funding, and resources, and hopefully some skilled medical personnel.

By involving the Australian churches directly it does not just by-pass an inefficient and failed PNG government health system it brings Australians closer to our closest neighbours in a way we can see real outcomes.

The churches of Papua New Guinea seem to have been marginalised during the pandemic. Now we know they are under-resourced and under real pressure in delivering vital health services.

As ever, Papua New Guinea's biggest "industry" – politics – has dominated. Yet the political system and political leaders have let the good people of PNG down very badly.

The churches of Papua New Guinea offer a beacon of hope in these troubled times. The Australian Government, in partnership with the Australian churches, need to give then the added resources they need to help save Papua New Guinea for an even greater catastrophe than it already faces.

It might cost $100 million or more in the immediate future – but that can be in lieu of another cash handout to the PNG Government that won't ever really benefit the people.

Time is short, the need is urgent. Seeking to deliver support via a failed health bureaucracy and process would represent not just a failed opportunity – it would let down good people who desperately need help now.