Papua and PNG agree on healthcare cooperation for border residents
Two hospitals are involved in the partnership, which aims to improve referrals and access to medical services unavailable in patients’ home regions.
Indonesia’s Papua provincial government has entered a healthcare partnership with Papua New Guinea to widen access to care for communities along their border, according to Papua Deputy Governor Aryoko Rumaropen. The arrangement seeks to help overcome gaps in facilities and specialist staffing.
Rumaropen said a memorandum of agreement signed on 12 November in Jayapura involved Dian Harapan Hospital, Provita Hospital, the West Sepik Provincial Health Authority and the PNG National Department of Health.
He said the partnership was expected to improve coordination between the countries on referrals, specialist services, diagnostic examinations and treatment unavailable where patients live. He expressed hope that patients would receive care through arrangements that were better directed, timely, coordinated and accountable.
Speaking in Jayapura City, Rumaropen said shortages of facilities and specialist personnel remained pressing concerns in several border areas, requiring support and coordination across the boundary. He also cited longstanding family and social connections among border communities, describing the cooperation as an expression of care for people’s needs in both countries.
