Author: Paula DAVID

As Papua New Guinea commemorates its 50th year of independence, Prime Minister James Marape has urged public personnel nationwide to take on the responsibility of providing the country with improved services. His remarks follow a visit to his electorate in Tari-Pori, where he met dedicated frontline public servants working in Hela Province. During his visit, the Prime Minister was moved to see several coastal families — doctors and other professionals — who have left the comfort of their home provinces to serve the people of Hela. He acknowledged their sacrifice and praised their commitment to nation-building. “These public servants are…

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The Sir Brian Bell Centre for Transfusion Medicine is in need of all blood types now to support patient needs at the Port Moresby General Hospital (PMGH). According to Assistant Nurse Unit Manager Sister (Sr) Juliet Ohuesaho, they have put out an appeal for urgent blood donations due to the high demand of blood needed during the festive season. She said it was not possible for them to go out and conduct their mobile blood drives because government departments and organizations were closed during the festive period. “It was not possible for us to go out and conduct our mobile…

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From Ben Hunt returning to the Broncos to Zac Lomax making a highly anticipated move from the Dragons to the Eels and Clint Gutherson going the other way, the 2025 NRL season is full of intriguing storylines surrounding players seeking a fresh start at new clubs. Other big guns set to make big moves in 2025 include Panthers premiership heroes Jarome Luai, James Fisher-Harris and Sunia Turuva, representative prop Reagan Campbell-Gillard, promising big men Stefano Utoikamanu and Terrell May and proven performers Isaiah Papali’i, Addin Fonua-Blake, Val Holmes and Chad Townsend. Among the key off-season signing moves are: Storm fullback…

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The National Saint John Ambulance received an emergency call in the early hours of Christmas Day at 03:06 AM about a woman in labour from Gelegele village in Kokopo, East New Britain. Ambulance officers Edward Kivung and Newman Vue were dispatched promptly to assist a 32-year-old expectant mother, Lydia, who was experiencing labour pains. Call takers reassured Lydia that a unit would be sent as soon as it was available. The caller met the ambulance on the roadside and guided the crew to the family home. Upon arrival, the ambulance team promptly assessed Lydia and transferred her to the ambulance…

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The inaugural Rhinos Rugby Union 10’s tournament saw a total of 16 teams vying for the Sydney Wesley Cup, named after former Defence rugby legend and Pukpuks Coach Sydney Wesley, at the Bava Park in Port Moresby. According to Rhino’s Rugby 10’s Tournament Manager Jordan Seladi, the 10-aside concept is an initiative of the Rhinos Rugby Club bringing together emerging, current, and past players to come out and enjoy the camaraderie and build friendships in rugby, have fun and stay fit during the offseason. “When we started the Rhino’s rugby union team, we started it on the notion of keeping…

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The Kwikila Interim Provincial Hospital in the Rigo District of Central Province is set to welcome the New Year as they are prepared for the New Years operations. Kwikila Interim Provincial Hospital Community Heath Officer Sister (Sr.) Ana Atop said, they have three (3) ambulance ready and on standby for the festive season. “We do have three ambulances on standby for emergency cases. One for the labour ward cases, which is a bus, and we have two other buses on standby for emergency cases.” Sr. Atop also made mention that they have enough stock of medical supplies to get them…

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Christmas is a time of celebrating joy, peace and love and to remember the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ over 2,000 years ago. At the Port Moresby General Hospital Labour Ward, sixteen babies were delivered by midday today on Christmas Day. Of the 16, seven were baby boys and the rest were girls. The first delivery was a baby boy who was born at 12:55 a.m. The total number of births for Christmas Day will be provided at a later date. Meanwhile, 41 babies were delivered on Christmas Eve.

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Hospitals around the country are prone to receive high rates or emergency cases during the festive period and to help minimize the load, the Port Moresby General Hospital (PMGH) and the National Capital District Provincial Health Authority (NCDPHA) are working collaboratively this festive season to address the issue of patient congestion and to minimize waiting times at the Port Moresby General Hospital. The NCD PHA is taking responsibility for the management and treatment of Category 3 patients referred from PMGH to 6mile Polyclinic. As per the Interagency Triage Tool (IITT), Category 3 patients are classified as non-urgent cases that can…

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People in the Abau and Rigo districts in the Central province have been urged to celebrate responsibly this festive season, due to the fact that the Abau District Hospital in Kupiano and the Kwikila Interim Provincial Hospital scaling down their operations. According to Central Provincial Health Authority Director Curative Health Services Dr. Maru Garo, they have scaled down their operations at both hospitals to maintain their emergency services, labour ward, the inpatient care and the X-Ray services. He said, the scale down begins today, the 24th of December 2024 and will continue until the 2nd of January 2025. “We are…

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Papua New Guinea-born representative star Xavier Coates believes the young talent coming through the nation’s pathways will ensure the NRL’s newest team is competitive from the outset. Coates, who made his Test debut for the Kumuls in 2019, is expected to be one of the main recruitment targets for the PNG NRL team, which will join the Telstra Premiership in 2028. The Storm star, who was a member of the Kangaroos team which won the Pacific Cup, will only be 26 years old when the first premiership match is played in Port Moresby. Current Kumuls players are expected to be…

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