JAKARTA, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia and Papua New Guinea have signed a memorandum of agreement on cross-border healthcare cooperation to expand access to medical services for residents in border areas of the two countries, Aryoko Rumaropen, deputy governor of Indonesia's Papua province, said on Friday.
Aryoko said the agreement was signed on Thursday in Jayapura, the capital of Papua province, between local hospitals in Papua and Papua New Guinea's West Sepik Provincial Health Authority and National Department of Health.
He said the cooperation aimed to address shortages of healthcare facilities and specialist medical personnel, which remain challenges in several border areas of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.
The partnership covers the strengthening of patient referral mechanisms, specialist medical services, diagnostic examinations and medical procedures not available at healthcare facilities in patients' home areas. ■