Papua New Guinea's Health Minister says smoking and chewing betelnut in or near hospitals and health facilities around the country will be banned.
The Post Courier newspaper reports that Jamie Maxtone-Graham announced the order when launching a new Non-communicable Disease Task Force and the Wellness Clinic concept.
Mr Maxtone-Graham says he has tasked the Department of Health to relay this message to all the health facilities while asking all facility managers to set the example for their staff.
The Minister cited a neighbouring country, Palau, as having introduced these bans and seen people respect them.