Port Moresby General Hospital (PMGH) has called for the urgent establishment of Level 4 hospitals in Moresby South and Moresby North East, and the upgrading of Gerehu Hospital, to ease growing pressure on its Emergency Department and improve access to emergency care across the city.
In a media statement issued on 10 November 2026, PMGH Chief Executive Officer Dr Paki Molumi said more than 80 per cent of patients presenting to the hospital’s Emergency Department (ED) are Category 3 cases, many of whom could be treated at district-level emergency facilities closer to where they live.
PMGH said it remains the only fully functioning public emergency department serving a city population of more than one million people, as the National Capital District Provincial Health Authority (NCDPHA) and Central Provincial Health Authority (CPHA) do not operate functional emergency departments.The hospital said the absence of Level 4 hospitals in Moresby South and Moresby North East, together with the limited emergency services at Gerehu Hospital in Moresby North West, has left patients from across the city relying on PMGH for emergency treatment.
PMGH and NCDPHA established the Six Mile Clinic Emergency Department to help manage patient numbers and direct cases to the appropriate level of care. The service, which began as a day clinic, has operated around the clock over the past two years. However, the hospital said the facility is also struggling with the growing number of patients.
PMGH is a Level 6 referral hospital and is intended to manage Category 1 and Category 2 emergencies, alongside specialist referrals. The continued arrival of less severe cases has added to the pressure on its emergency services.To address the problem, PMGH has called for a Level 4 hospital to be established in Moresby South and another in Moresby North East, while Gerehu Hospital should be upgraded to operate as a fully functional Level 4 facility with an emergency department.
The hospital said these services would allow residents to receive treatment within their districts and leave PMGH to concentrate on serious emergencies and specialist care.
Dr Molumi said plans to expand the PMGH Emergency Department were welcome and necessary, but would not resolve the problem without functioning district health services across the city.
He said the long-term answer was to build the capacity of district hospitals and emergency departments rather than continue placing the entire burden of emergency care on PMGH.
The hospital said a properly functioning district health system would reduce pressure on its emergency department and improve access to treatment for people across Port Moresby.