I don't usually respond to social media posts when issues arise in my line of duty unless I am compelled to. However, the post by Mr Wai on the 24/12/25 contains alot of serious allegations that has compelled me to respond.
(1) Instructions to the Acting Secretary by Minister.
Instructions by Minister to the acting department head to improve department functions, operations and health service delivery are lawful Instructions that must be carried out by the secretary. The Health Minister directives to the acting health secretary were in order and I was ready to take up the position of deputy secretary - national policy and corporate services - to move the functions of this key wing of the NDOH. The wing currently lacks leadership and have failed to deliver on some of the core corporate functions of the department. This wing is critical to the functions of the health sector and deals with - health policies, laws & regulations, budget formulation and mornitoring, PHA reforms, coordination and support, HR and workforce, IR, service delivery and partner contracts management amongst other key functions. It was done with the noble intention to complete the outstanding - policies, review of long outstanding laws and regulations, HR and work force issues, PHA reforms, improve corporate governance, medical supplies reforms and other key outstanding corporate functional functions/activities.
(2) Appointment as Acting Executive Manager - Strategic Policy Division (15 April - 15 July 2025
During these 3 months period as the A/Executive Manager the team that I led successfully under took the following (a) Kidney transplant - we ensured that the surgical team at PMGH who undertook the first kidney transplant had the - policy, legal, ethical and operational cover (b) Completed the initial concept paper on the set up of the health services commission to address the critical health workforce shortages in the health sector (c) Finalized the MOU and instruments for the transfer of all the health powers to the government of AROB. This has been outstanding since the agreement between the GoPNG and AROB in 2001 peace agreement. The health sector was one of the last sectors to fully delegate these powers to the Autonomous government.
(3). Ministerial instructions to resolve the social directorate and mental health & Laloki hospital outstanding problems.
From the 18 Oct 2024 - 18 Feb 2025. On the 18 Oct 2024 I was appointed by the Health Minister to solve the long standing management challenges at the Social Change & Mental Health Directorate (SC & MHD) and Laloki psychiatric hospital. These institutional problems have taken the NDOH 11 years to resolve with minimal successes. Ministers and health secretaries have come and gone; they have even gone to court to resolve the ongoing problems but none have been able to resolve these institutional problems. The outgoing acting health secretary has been a member of the SEM for 14 years but has not been able to resolve these institutional problems. When appointed by the Health Minister, the team I lead got it resolved in 3 months. We developed the corporate governance and clinical governance frameworks to address the management challenges in the directorate including a clinical governance framework for the Laloki hospital. At the same time lead the investigations into the management of the directorate and Laloki hospital. The police is currently continuing its investigations. I can't comment anymore on this matter as police investigations are ongoing and the case(s) are in court. Why am I highlighting these facts? This is to ensure that our people understand that the Ministerial instructions given to me via the secretary's office were all successfully implemented and were completed in the shortest time possible and with successful outcomes. I am a performer and the teams that I have led have managed some of most challenging health problems that PNG have faced. These include: HIV, polio, infectious diseases outbreaks and recently the the CoVID-19 pandemic. These includes instituting key interventions to some of the organizational challenges within the health system. The instructions given to Acting Secretary if complied with would have resulted in completing some of the long outstanding and critical health reforms, health policies, outstanding laws and regulations and most importantly reforms to the medical supplies system to ensure that our country does not run out of medicines and other health commodities.
(4) The Global Fund for HIV, TB and Malaria (GFATM)
(a) History. I was the Principal Advisor for the STI/HIV/AIDs program from 2002 - 2011. In May 2004, as the Team leader, led the NDOH team and our partners that successfully work on the submission to access USD 30M for the HIV program to fund the global initiative of 3 by 5 and to strengthen the country's health system. The main global objective was to put 3 million HIV patients on HIV treatment by 2005 then. By the end of 2005, PNG as a country achieved 83% coverage of our country target. This was the first ever successful HIV GFATM submission for PNG. PNG then was one of 4 priority countries for the Global Fund that also included China, Thailand and Cambodia. The grant was implemented successfully and ended in 2010. I must clarify that I have never managed the National TB and Malaria programs. To link the HIV GFATM grant to these programs is wrong and assertions to allude that funds have been misapplied are serious allegations with no facts and evidences to support them.
(b) Building on the successes of the first grant in 2004, in Feb 2010, again lead our team in NDOH to submit another round (then round 10 of the GFATM) and again we were successful and recieved USD 50M from the GF. I was then the Principal Advisor for the STI/HIV program in NDOH from Feb 2002 - July 2011. Mr Ken Wai assertion that I misapplied USD 3.4M in 2014 is *completely false, a fabricated lie and a serious allegation.* Why? I left the NDOH in July 2011 to pursue other professional interests including private medical practice, going back to Uni to undertake studies for my MBA and also to work in the private sector between July 2011 - April 2018. I was out of NDOH at the material time that Mr Ken Wai is making these serious and baseless allegations. I was recall to NDOH from the private sector in June 2018 by the health secretary then to manage the national polio outbreak.
Why? Because the health department could not find any capable person to manage the national polio outbreak. The outcome - we interrupted the polio virus from spreading in 4 months and eliminated polio in 6 months. In the process saving more than 3 million PNG children that would have been severely affected by polio. We undertook 8 rounds of supplementary immunization activity (SIA) rounds over 2 years (June 2018 - Nov 2020). Each round achieving 98% coverage of the set targeted children population. A feat never before achieved in PNG whether in the SIAs or routine immunization (RI). As a result PNG got the award for the best managed disease outbreak response in the Western Pacific region (WPRO) during this period. It is important to note that between this period 2018 - 2020 the same team that I was leading was managing 2 concurrent infectious disease outbreaks- polio and the CoVID-19 pandemic. A very difficult and challenging situation for our country to be in.
I am a performer in the health sector and professionals in the health sector, both in PNG and internationally, and our partners know my history and achievements. I urge the outgoing acting health secretary to be mindful of what he posts and circulates on social media. *Venting your frustrations on social media for not being appointed as the health secretary and blaming the portfolio Minister and colleagues on social media is childish, immature, unprofessional and well below the belt.* This is after the competent government agencies and NEC has made the appointment for the health secretary. And may I remind the outgoing Acting Health Secretary that we have laws that protect citizens including the Cyber Crime Act that citizens can utilize to seek legal redress if they are aggrieved. Instructions have been given to my lawyers to deal with these serious allegations circulated by the aggrieved outgoing acting health secretary on social media.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2026 everyone.
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