Doctors leaving Papua

Doctors leaving Papua

JAYAPURA, Irian Jaya: Rural communities in Jayapura regency's more remote areas are complaining about the scarcity of medical supplies and of doctors fleeing to the provincial capital or to other provinces because of the prolonged conflict in the area.

In Bonggo district, Besar tribal chief Seblum Werbabkay said on Wednesday that villagers have had difficulty obtaining health services for the past five months.

According to Seblum, a lack of medicine meant the people of Bonggo had to rely entirely on herbal concoctions to treat their ailments.

He called on the regency health office to allocate money for the procurement of drugs, in order to ensure public health services reached the entire region. --Antara