PORT MORESBY (Pacnews) — A medical doctor in Papua New Guinea has put the cost of treating gun-related injuries at 20 million kina ($6.9 million) a year — money which the government does not budget for.
The president of the Medical Society of Papua New Guinea, Mathias Sapuri, said this at the launch of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence.
He said there must be no delay in dealing with the gun issue.
He expressed the society’s interest in joining the coalition because doctors have seen that gun-related injuries are costly to treat, requiring technical experts and are often life-threatening.
The victim suffers from disability and emotional trauma for life, as there is no counseling services available for such people.
Presently, there are 5,000 gun-related violence cases being seen by doctors throughout the country.
“An amount of 20 million kina ($6.9 million) spent on treating patients who have suffered from gun related injuries is money unbudgeted for by the government. This money should instead be used to protect our women and children dying from preventable diseases by providing services such as immunization for children,’’ he said.
“The problem we have with gun-related violence is much bigger than HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis or any other disease,’’ he said.
At the weekend, for instance Sapuri treated an 18-year-old woman who was raped at a gunpoint.
The woman had sustained severe injuries and would have died had it not been for quick medical help.
Sapuri said many government workers, including those in the health sector, feared going to serve in rural areas for fear of being harassed by gun wielding young men.