Health facilities in the Pomio District of East New Britain (ENB) Province were fortunate enough to receive new medical equipment from the Pomio District Administration recently.
The medical assets include medical equipment such as mattress, wheel chairs, and information technologies satellite transmitters.
This also included a vehicle, first aid kit, and mud strap, plant machineries, a Lucas Mill and a chain saw.
East New Britain Provincial Health Authority (ENBPHA) Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr. Ako Yap and Provincial Health Authority Director Curative Health, Dr. Patrick Kiromat, were present at the Pomio District Administration to officially handover the assets.
Speaking during the handover ceremony Dr. Yap said that the ambulance and the assets are co-funded by Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) through the ENBPHA.
He said that Pomio District has a big land mass where many of the people live in the mountains and some in the coastal areas in which they are scattered and so the accessibility to services including health services, is a challenge.
“We know there are many challenges in terms of having certain health facilities especially with infrastructure and staff houses plus other resources, but with this medical equipment, it’s just the beginning for more improvement to come.”
He further stated that though Pomio is an isolated area, the attitude and behavior of the people are good with not many issues faced and has urged the people look after the facilities so that they will last long.
In addition to this, Dr. Yap said that the PHA will be doing things online now where all the reports and data will be registered and entered into the system.
A team currently working on that and with the satellite transmitters given, they will start putting them to good use.
Meanwhile, Pomio District Acting Administrator, John Liskia, thanked donor funders and the PHA for the assets stating that the assistance was timely.
Liskia said the service delivery in the district is challenging in terms of delivering basic health services, but they are doing everything they possibly can to help the people.
The assets will be assign to the fourteen health facilities in the district by the District Health Manager and the District Administrator.
The total cost funded for the assets was K479, 550.