The Port Moresby General Hospital (PMGH) has launched one of the latest high tech Cannon Cardiac Catheterization machines to do invasive treatments and reducing the need for patients to travel overseas to seek treatment. According to PMGH Invasive Cardiology-Intervention Cardiologist Dr. Wesong Boko, with the advanced Cannon Cardiac Catheterization machine, they were able to do 1, 327 procedures. He said, they carried out coronary angiogram procedures (heart), cerebral angiograms (brain), peripheral blockage in the legs and in certain cases, they were able to detect the tumor and cut off the cancer cell's blood supply. "Through Kumul Petroleum Holdings Limited (KPHL), the machine was acquired at the cost of K5million, and Papua New Guineans don’t need to travel overseas to seek cardiac treatment," Dr. Boko announced. PMGH CEO, Dr. Paki Molumi, mentioned that lifestyle or non-communicable diseases (NCD) in the country are increasing exponentially as Papua New Guineans adopt to a Western lifestyle diet and moving away from the traditional food to modern processed foods, compounded by the lack of exercise, smoking and alcohol intake. “The country is faced with a risk of losing our educated elites to non-communicable diseases (NCD) which will be detrimental to our development aspirations as a country.” “The top five leading NCD in hospital admissions, both death inpatient and on arrival to the emergency department of PMGH and around the country, are stroke and heart disease, cancer and chronic kidney diseases,” said Dr. Molumi. Dr. Molumi stated that some of the expected outcomes from KPHL's investment of K5million for the new Cannon Cath Lab machine will improve efficiency, meaning more patients will be served, and they will be able to perform Neuro intervention procedures including stroke reversals, interventional procedures reducing hospital stay, and with it, cutting cost for hospital and the patient. This will then lead to a reduction in the need to travel overseas seeking interventional cardiology and other organ angiography procedures. Meantime, Prime Minister Marape who commissioned the new machine, thanked the hospital and KPHL’s Managing Director Wapu Sonk for this great collaboration that’s saved thousands of lives. He said, instead of losing millions of kina elsewhere, they were able to save 1, 327 lives. KPHL Managing Director Wapu Sonk thanked the government and the hospital for working collaboratively with KPHL and mentioned that they will continue to support the cancer and cardiac services in both the Angau and PMGH hospitals for the people. “We should be at a level where our people should not spend thousands of kina overseas like in the past. So, thank you for the government direction and thank you to the people who have been working here supporting the program, and this shows the cooperation that we have to provide essential services for our people.” Mr. Sonk further stated, “We are just here to help and follow government directions and if it means that we have to continue to support, then we will do so.”