The Mineral Resources Community Mine Continuation Agreement Holdings (MRCMCAH) Limited, last Friday donated lifesaving medical equipment comprising of an aspirator (suction machine) and two oxygen concentrators to the Kiunga Hospital.
MRCMCAH is the landowner trust company, which owns 12 percent of the OK Tedi Mine shares on behalf of the 152 villages from the eight CMCA regions of Western Province.
The equipment valued at K20, 000 was donated by James Assan, Chairman of MRCMCAH and witnessed by representatives from MRCMCAH, MRDC and the hospital.
Health Manager for the North Fly District, Rody Ukin, who received the donation on behalf of the hospital, thanked Mr Assan and MRDC for delivering the “much needed equipment” and explained that the hospital has been without these equipment for a while and “the donation was timely and will be used immediately to treat patients.”
“The oxygen concentrators will assist our asthmatic patients while the aspirator will be used in our operating theatre,” said Mr Ukin.
“Aspirators and oxygen concentrators are basic but vital, life-saving equipment that all our hospitals regardless of their location in the country should have and I’m happy to be able to support our Kiunga hospital,” said Mr Assan.
“Kiunga Hospital serves majority of the population of Western Province including my people along the eight CMCA regions – they travel into Kiunga to access health care and treatment at the hospital and this donation, though small, will go a long way in saving lives,” added Mr Assan.
The equipment was purchased from India last year by Chairman Assan using his Public Relations Funds but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the equipment only arrived mid this year.
Public Relations Funds are funds approved and allocated to each director of the MRCMCAH trustee company to use as response to community expectations and these funds are tied to community-supported initiatives such as health, education, law and order, sports among others.
MRCMCAH is the landowner trust company, which owns 12 percent of the OK Tedi Mine shares on behalf of the 152 villages from the eight CMCA regions of Western Province.
These regions are North Fly, Middle Fly, Kiwaba, Highway, North Ok Tedi, Suki Fly Gogo, Manawete and Dudi Region.
MRCMCAH is managed by MRDC through a management agreement.