PMGH comprehensive cancer center phase 3 nears commissioning
Papua New Guinea's first Comprehensive Cancer Center at the Port Moresby General Hospital will commence chemotherapy and radiotherapy services before the end of this year, with Phase Three of the project set for commissioning.
Chief Executive Officer of PomGen, Dr. Paki Molumi, said the facility will be the main cancer center for the country and has been designed as a one-stop-shop cancer center.
The K300-million project has been split into phases due to lack of bulk government funding.
He said for Phase One, the two bunkers are completed, while phase two main structures are also completed and phase three’s Engineering and fit-out of the ground floor is now almost complete.
Dr. Molumi said Phase Three is the ground floor where key services will be provided.
"This will be the main cancer center for the country. Because of lack of funding, we split into phases. So on this floor we will be providing chemotherapy, radiotherapy in two bunkers, brachytherapy for cervical cancer, planning CT and nuclear medicine. On the upper floors will be for radio-iodine, immunotherapy, gene therapy. So we want to make thisa one-stop-shop cancer center," Dr. Molumi said.
On the ground floor, chemotherapy services currently provided at the main hospital will be moved to the new facility, along with radiotherapy in two bunkers, brachytherapy unit for cervical cancer, planning CT and nuclear medicine department.
The upper floors, to be fitted out from 2027 to 2030, will cater for radio-iodine treatment, immunotherapy, gene therapy, bone marrow transplant for leukemias, molecular lab, immunohistochemistry, histopathology and research facilities.
Dr. Molumi clarified that the center is a treatment facility, not an admission facility.
He said Provincial Health Authorities (PHAs) around the country must diagnose patients, perform required surgery, and have patients ready before referral to the cancer center for chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
After treatment, monitoring will be done at molecular level via (Positron Emission Tomography) or PET scan in the nuclear medicine department to assess response.
The center plans to commission the ground floor while fit-outs of upper floors continue, to avoid waiting until 2030 for the entire facility.