AAP FACTCHECK – Patients at Papua New Guinea’s largest hospital do not require national identification cards to receive treatment, despite claims online.
Authorities from Port Moresby General Hospital confirmed that it does not have a policy to deny those without national ID, or “NID”, cards.
The false claims began spreading on social media in November 2024.
“No NID No Treatment, come on PNG is going next level,” one Facebook post said.
Another user questioned: “When There’s no proper and effective processing of NID’s in PNG? why this damn and blindly act introduced? (sic)”
The posts include an image of a “breaking news” television report where one of the superimposed captions reads: “PATIENTS SENT HOME FOR NOT HAVING NID CARDS.”
However, in the top corner, a URL for the website Break Your Own News is visible.
The site allows users to generate fake or parody news reports, and AAP FactCheck easily recreated the same image.
The hospital issued a statement confirming the claims are false.
“The news has sparked confusion and concern among the public in the country, and individuals must consider the consequences before posting such information on social media,” it said.
The hospital’s chief executive Paki Molumi said the spread of misleading information could potentially harm public trust in healthcare institutions.
“There is no such policy in place at the Referral Hospital, authorities are taking proactive measures to address the issue and ensure that citizens are well-informed and not misled by false narratives,” Dr Molumi said.
PNG’s national ID card program launched in 2014 and aimed to deliver universal ID cards for voting and other services.
The card enables people to open bank accounts, access business loans, apply for mobile phone SIM cards, driving licences and passports.
However, only approximately a quarter of citizens are registered, with many experiencing delays or access issues, while the project’s administrators have faced accusations of mismanaging funds.
The Verdict
False – The claim is inaccurate.
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