Operator says it was advised in May about concerns over clinic’s registration and it is still awaiting government clarification

The Manus Island immigration centre’s medical facility appears to have operated without medical registration for at least 10 months.

The clinic’s operator, International Health and Medical Services (IHMS), said in a statement it was registered to provide medical services in Papua New Guinea and became aware of issues over its clinic’s licence in May last year.

A Papua New Guinea news outlet, the National, went further, reporting that a PNG independent review committee report had revealed the medical centre had not been properly registered for three years from 2013, after being given temporary approval to operate a day clinic out of makeshift containers.

The committee reportedly accused IHMS of breaching the registration act and the health minister was preparing a report for parliament, according to the ABC.

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IHMS has confirmed to Guardian Australia it was told the PNG Medical Board had concerns over its registration in May but the PNG government has not responded to its requests for clarification over conflicting information.

However, in May it was made aware that the PNG medical board “had concerns regarding the licensing of the medical clinic on Manus Island”.

“Since being made aware of the issue, IHMS has submitted all required documentation to the PNG medical board to enable the licensing of the Manus clinic, and has sought guidance from the PNG medical board on who should hold the licence. IHMS has received conflicting advice from the PNG government regarding who should hold the licence.”

The spokesman said all staff – including 54 Papua New Guineans, 37 Australians, and 12 other nationals – were registered in accordance with PNG laws and regulations.

IHMS has been subject to intense scrutiny and criticism over its handling of healthcare for asylum seekers and refugees at the Manus Island centre, following several deaths.

At a coronial inquest in Brisbane last month, IHMS and the Australian department of immigration appeared to blame each other for the failures in healthcare, which led to the death of Hamid Kehazaei.

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The National reported that PNG health minister Michael Malabag had written to prime minister Peter O’Neil in January to raise other alleged breaches, including against taxation, labour and migration laws, and now said they should be looked at with the alleged medical registration issue. He suggested Isos, the parent company of IHMS, be allowed to withdraw its services, accusing them of breaching the Medical Registration Act, something he said would be “a serious criminal offence”.

IHMS denied the allegations of further breaches, and said they were among “multiple unfounded accusations” directed at the company “as a result of competing commercial interests within the healthcare sector in PNG”.

“In October 2016, IHMS provided the PNG government all the information required to refute these allegations. IHMS was informed by the PNG chief secretary that a report on its investigation would be issued to us within a week and we could then work collaboratively with the PNG government to resolve any outstanding issues.

“This report has never been issued and our multiple requests to meet with the PNG chief secretary, the PNG minister for health, and other government officials have been ignored.”