Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

PNG continues preparations for possible swine flu outbreak

Posted at 03:28 on 18 June, 2009 UTC

Members of Papua New Guinea’s national influenza task force are planning to assess the swine flu preparedness in a number of provinces.

This comes as five people in PNG are still in quarantine with suspected swine flu, while ten others have been cleared.

Department of Health surveillance officer Berry Ropa told the Post Courier they would first visit the most populated provinces, such as Morobe and the Highlands to check their preparedness.

Mr Ropa says each province should have a swine influenza response plan.

He says the Health Department and the World Health Organisation have sent some medication to the provinces and his staff will take some more on their visit to the areas.

The medical society has said swine flu would spread like a wildfire should it reach PNG.