The deaths at Watut, in the Morobe Province on PNG's north western coast have been linked to bad foods sold last week. A PNG MP Sam Basil has told PNG's Post-Courier newspaper the emergency has been compounded by a shortage of facilities and medicine. 

“Patients are coming in large numbers every day to the health centre and they are receiving treatment,” he said. 

“(But) no one can be hospitalised because the health centre does not have facilities for in-patients,” he said. 

“To my understanding, nothing has been done to date and that means they (health authorities) are not aware of the deaths from the outbreak.” Mr Basil said he would organise a local mobile health programme to deal with the epidemic…….PNS (ENDS)