Madang Youth & Community Leader Kurere Matanzana has implemented several community projects for more than a decade as part of his personal vision to transform Madang Province, and this time, it’s no different, as he, with the help of medical students from the University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) work together to conduct health awareness in rural Madang and as well as deliver medical supplies to health centres and aid posts grappling with drug shortage.
Matanzana and the students travelled to wards 18 (Gum), 17 (Bilbil), 16 (Sein), 18 (Yabob), 15 (Aiyab), 20 (Umun), & 23 (Utu) in Amenob Rural LLG giving talks on family planning, teenage pregnancies, and sex education.
After conducting awareness, medical supplies were delivered to Utu Health Centre, Yagaum Health Centre, and Danben Clinic with assistance from Matanzana’s friend and former employers.
“Skin disease drugs for children were delivered with the help of Pacific Towing Marine Services.”
Matanzana added that there are still medical supplies pending delivery due to a lot of wards not having facilities to store supplies.
“There are a lot of medicine still with me, but they cannot be delivered and donated to respective wards due to these wards lacking aid posts and health centers – if they do, however, chances are these wards are no longer in operation.”
“Infrastructure development has been neglected by our leaders.”
Consequently, many patients flock to other operating health centres, which in turn create another issue of overcrowding.
He gave an example of Yagaum stating that the rural health centre serves approximately more than 320, 000 patients annually.
Additionally, most of the staff serving in these health centres are elderly and require a lot of support from the community to keep them going.
“Age is catching up to the long-serving staff, and there are no young people to take over once they retire.”
He remarked that this was all a reflection of bad leadership.
“Madang is facing a medical crisis of drug and staff shortage, infrastructure neglect, and a lack of proper staff training.”
“Us ordinary citizens cannot do much, we can only help in whatever little ways we can and hope the leaders in power can be empathetic towards the plight of the people.”
Apart from conducting health awareness, talks were also given on topics ranging from law & order to environmental issues.