Health Minister Zibe’s vicious attack on Dr Glen Mola
Health Minister Sasa Zibe sent a vicious email to Dr Glen Mola on April 27th after the good Doctor expressed his misgivings about the governments plans for its extravagant Pacific Health Centre.
The government is proposing to build the Pacific Health Centre outside Port Moresby at a cost of some K500 million while regional hospital are left to crumble and the rural health system collapses from a lack of government funding.
Zibe, in his stinging attack told Dr Mola he should be ashamed of himself as a clinician and health educator as PNG’s health indicators are some of the worst in the world, conveniently forgetting of course the government’s woeful underfunding of the health system and the tireless efforts of health workers who struggle on in appalling conditions.
The Ministers email is reproduced in full below so all PNG can see the quality of the leadership the Minister is providing and in the probably vain hope the Minister might both apologize and reconsider the government’s commitment to the PMC project.
——– Original Message ——–
| Subject: | FW: PNG Launch of Pacific Medical Center (PMC) Project (in 3rd week of May or earlyJune 2010?) – when PM is Available |
| Date: | Tue, 27 Apr 2010 17:15:50 +1000 |
| From: | Hon. Sasa Zibe <s.k.zibe@global.net.pg> |
| To: | ‘glenmola’ <glenmola@dg.com.pg> |
Dear Professor Mola
You seems to be very skeptical about PMC.
You can say what ever you want in the media about PMC, you are just only wasting your time and breath.
Your days are over and you will soon retire and head down under where everything is ready for your retirement. I will dwell with my problems and so, let me fix the problems and issues in the way I think is best for me.
Your advice on health issues are out of date.
Why, I am making this statement because same advice you had given to the current health Managers of PNG Health Work Force are fortunately or unfortunately your students whom you taught and advised them to implement health care issues seems to have been struggling to implement your advice over the years.
Look at our health indicators – the worst in the world! you should be ashamed of yourself as an educator and advisor in the health sector.
Your very students whom you taught and advised are struggling to implement the health care services in PNG.
This problem is not created overnight and can not be fixed over night. I blame you and John Vince for these problems because you were or you are still a Advisor to PNG Health Sector. How long have you guys been advising the health workforce in this country?
It is about time that we will find our own solutions and new advisors to the problems you have created over the years.
Now, let me make this very clear to you!!! Don’t bother to waste your time because Paul and I will not listen to your outdated advice.
We will build PMC with or with out you and your cronies.
Sasa Zibe
Minister for Health.
Highly Defamatory !! Who is advising this dude?
Sasa Zibe is another idiot. Having a person like him as an MP is bad enough, but as a Minister is a joke – and everyone knows it. Don’t think Dr. Mola will take the little fellow from Lae too seriously. None of the rest of us do.
When was the last time he saw the conditions of the health facilities around the country? While this PMC might be a nice addition to the health facilities in POM, what about the rest of the country – both big cities such as Lae, Goroka and Hagen but also small outposts like Mutzing, Okapa, and Wau? When will people in these areas see some improvement in the level of health care that they deserve?
I had to read his response twice to make sense of it and it’s still confusing to me. I mean, how can he blame Dr. Mola for our low health status? Apalling! O Dear, our government with all it’s members and Ministers have turned out to be a real joke.
I appeal to Dr. Mola not to bother about this email because it is totally baseless, dumbfounded and very light as far as contructive discussions can go. I see it as a personal attack rather than constructive discussion. Come one Sasa you can do much much better than that. What you have done is cheap!!!!
I’d call him retarded but then that would offend the truly mentally challenged!
I would like to ask Minister Zibe what is going on with the medical board. It is a joke and full of corrupt practices. Trying to deal with them and get honest answers is impossible as they are giving overseas GP`S permission to operate as surgeons when they are not qualified. We are going to end up with our very own Patel here if they are not careful.. Its a very dangerous practice and I`m sure my PNG wantok doctors who have studied long and hard to get speciality accreditation would be appalled. Be careful of some expat doctors that you think are qualified because they are not.
His email is not only childish he sees it as a personal attack. Instead of publicly coming out and telling everyone why he thinks the international hospital going to a good and tangible solution to PNGs health issues he writes this totally pathetic email, which shows no professionalism and a lack of understanding that with developments such as this; theres always going to be opposition, not everyone will agree with your ‘bright idea’. What he as the health minister should have done is take on board Dr Molas criticisms and evaluate them and see if hes points are valid, dont just thrown them out like that, and take it as an attack. Dr Molas ideas are a mirror image of many other PNGeans too. PNGeans who are concerned about their health and their childrens health. Get a grip Zibe and stop being so niave. You just show irresponsible you are, because you’re not taking into account other ideas and opninion as well, especially since its coming from someone who knows the health system more than you do.
Lets all email Good ol’ Sasa and tell him what we think about his grand plans for PNG’s medical development!!! Why don’t we??
Please, Minister think again…its not late, stop the super hospital and put a aircon in Goroka Base operating theater first … otherwise scrap the PoM super plan and re-plan a private ‘super’ wing in all base & gen hospitals in the main towns for a start..then 10 years from now … build district hospitals in the 89 districts that don’t have one…AND last but not least use the ‘super’ money to a surgeon in all the other district hospitals that don’t have one…of course they must have a good house and facilities for their up-keep in the bush…
Below is my letter to Mr. ZIbe- email him your thoughts at:s.k.zibe@global.net.pg and Cc: glenmola@dg.com.pg; letters@spp.com.pg
Mr. Sasa ZIBE,
Firstly, I think that your letter is a cheap shoot at Prof. Mola. (link:
http://pngexposed.wordpress.com/2010/10/19/zibes-vicious-attack-on-dr-glen-mola/?blogsub=confirming#subscribe-blog)
It is shallow in understanding and comprehension of PNG’s local health system. Mr. Zibe, you may well have understood that eventhough we have good people in the health sector funding of health system by successive goverments is poor. Hence the result we see now. IT IS NOT PROF MOLA or JOHN VINCE!
Secondly, you should be the one to be ashame of yourself because the state of health centres in Huon Gulf in appalling, not to mention ANGAU Memorial Hospital. GO SEE FOR YOURSELF Salamaua, Hote, Sabaiya, Morobe, Gabensis and many more health centres in your electorate.
Finally, DO NOT SHOOT THE MESSENGERS! DO NOT ATTACK PEOPLE WHO KNOW WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT.
LAMBO
Talk about a cheap shot. With grammar like that, I would have to say it is very likely his 9yr decided to defend is father from Prof Mola. And I do not want to even mention the content because there is simply no substance to it for me to even comment on.
PATHETIC & LAME
Okay I rest my case I always thought Ministers thought obout themselves then the people of PNG and our health system is poor and I appreciate the dedicated staff that put their time into running our hospitals and treating patients even though they know that somethings needs to be fixed. All I can say is SHAME ON YOU ZIBE and everyone like you.
I just don’t understand how people like Zibe think. While the bulk of the population is struggling to have access to basic medical treatment, Mr Zibe is trying to build a super hospital with the much needed funds that can cater for the bulk of the population. When all the aidposts and hospitals in the country are out of the basic medical supplies, Mr Zibe sees fit to have the much needed funds put aside so he can build the super hospital with it. By the way when was the last time the member went for a trip to see for himself how the medical supplies and the medical people are coping. I guess not, that is why he is in dream land thinking everything is fine so he and his cronies can come up with the stupid idea of building a super hospital. What a lousy stupid idea, shame on him and all his followers….
Mr. Zibe goes and comes to Lae and must be blind not see the condition our Doctors and Nurses are operating in, go to Angau and you’l find the Corridors cramed with beds with drips hanging from make shift stands.
May be a better way to get the MP’s to put money into our Health systems would be to stop all PNG MP’s from seading their sponses and themselves from going over seas for treatment than they will appreciate the hardships our doctors are in and do something about it or maybe I have opened my mouth too early, that’s why they are building this expensive hospital so only those like them who can afford the cost go.
Mangi Morobe.
Zibe, your are inadequate in all ways possible as a leader of our health sector. Total childish arguements coming from a person of your callibre. It is very embarrasing. Either you getting very old or being mentally challenged now.
As a medical student I have alot of respect for Prof Mola and Prof Vince for their commitment and faithfulness in their respective duties as Clinician and Educators. It will be a great loss to the nation if/when these two great learned men finally retire. Lesser person like Sasa Zibe is pursuing his own interest thus he could write defamingly like that.
It is obvious that Mr. Zibe is a preterm child, abused when a child, mentally impeded or rather a backward selfish human being..
My comment is rather late but I wanted to point out that Mr Zibe has the signs and symptoms of a corrupt politician i.e.
“mentally constipated and verbal diarrhea”
Please for Christ sake, try to be different!
The world will be shocked to read such comments from a state Minister. The problem here is that the Minister does not understand leadership and thus can’t provide one here to effectively address the issues of rural and health in general. He needs to be truely grounded in his knowledge about the health sector and issues in PNG and ensure all necessary resources are effectively used to acheive best results through effective leadership and prudent management. Is he trying to safe face because of his own and government failure?