Papua New Guinea's top judge has urged the government to address the lack of medical facilities in the country.
The call from Chief Justice Sir Gibbs Salika, comes as the country struggles with climbing Covid-19 infections.
Sir Gibbs has described the parlous state of PNG's health system as an issue of human rights.
He says the people must know they have a right to access medical treatment, and if they believe they haven't received proper treatment, they are entitled to have their grievance heard.
Identifying proper medical care as the primary responsibility of government, Sir Gibbs says public hospitals should be well equipped with up to date state of the art medical equipment, no less than private hospitals are.
Sir Gibbs Salika Photo: Loop PNG
Sir Gibbs also called for better pay to be offered to keep doctors in the public system.
The call came as Papua New Guinea recorded 223 new confirmed Covid-19 cases to midday Wednesday, increasing the total number to 11,630.
Morobe Province recorded the highest number with 59, followed by the National Capital District with 47, and East New Britain with 36.
The Chief Justice's call echoes sentiments expressed by several senior MPs after the death of the country's first prime minister Sir Michael Somare two months ago due to pancreatic cancer.
They urged the government to improve funding to the health sector and specifically for construction of a dedicated cancer hospital.
In its 2021 national budget, the government made provision for US$485-million worth of funding to the health sector, or 9 percent of overall expenditure.