Pacific / Papua New Guinea

Manus Island medical clinic closed

06:22 am on 6 March 2017

The medical clinic at Australia's immigration detention centre on Papua New Guinea's Manus Island has reportedly been closed, with only emergencies being accepted.

The Manus Island detention centre. Photo: Behrouz Boochani

On Friday, it was reported in Australian media that the clinic's operator, International Health and Medical Services, may have been operating without medical registration for at least 10 months.

A PNG government committee has accused the company of operating without proper registration, and is investigating possible breaches of tax, labour and immigration laws.

The Australian government told the ABC that the registration of medical facilities is the responsibility of the PNG government.

According to detainees on Manus Island, the medical centre closed on Friday afternoon and appointments had been cancelled.

A journalist on Manus Island, Behrouz Boochani, said detainees had been told that the closure was because of a gas leak, but no reopening date was given.

He said sick detainees were told to report to the guard house, where officers would radio medical staff to decide whether their case was considered an emergency.