SIR Joseph Nombri was buried in his Wagl village in Simbu province yesterday and the book on the life of the grassroots gentleman closed when the earth covered his casket claimed him back for all eternity.
Simbu’s only surviving knight lost the battle against cancer and went to rest with, in my opinion, some regret that many whom he has helped directly or indirectly, had not come to reciprocate when he was down.
As a student leader in his own home province, then a kiap, a political party pioneer, a senior public servant, a diplomat, a statesman and a jolly good bloke to get along with, Sir Joe rubbed shoulders with people from all walks of life – from royalty and heads of government to the lowly grassroots at Cherry Club in a seedy plot at Gordon in Port Moresby.
He was a man who epitomised the typical Highlands macho image – he prided himself in his bushy beard which portrayed at a glance as the aggressive Highlands warrior. Yet, deep within him was a character of simplicity and humbleness. He was indeed a man for and of the people.
One of his greatest achievements in life, and there are many, is helping to bring improved health services to his home province.
Using diplomacy with his contacts in Japan where he resided as the country’s resident ambassador for 12 years, Sir Joe secured funding and instigated the construction of the fairly modern Kundiawa General Hospital.
In so doing, Sir Joe has given many Papua New Guineans a second chance in life at the expense of his own.
Alas, even a modern hospital like Kundiawa lacks some specific medical treatment facilities and the lack of one such, had him firstly grappling for dear life and failing to find it in time, eventually claimed his life.
He sought treatment in Australia at a cost well below what he and his family appealed for.
Cancer treatment facility or radiotherapy treatment has been a contentious issue in Papua New Guinea for some time and no government, past or present, has actually heard the cry of the people – many of whom are young women and mothers – to secure the facility and install it in a Papua New Guinean hospital accessible by the masses.
It seems efforts by concerned leaders and Papua New Guineans have died natural deaths. Former health minister Melchior Pep, during his tenure in cabinet a decade ago, vowed to secure the facility from South Korea. Nothing came out of it.
Later Governments have given the issue the lowest priority it seems, making only meager commitments to fund raising efforts by concerned leaders and interest groups for the securement of the facility.
Today, the stark reality of the situation is that the facility is far from being a reality and many more Papua New Guinean lives would continue to be at risk. They can only hope to survive at the generosity of other Papua New Guineans to meet the cost of treatment elsewhere but that can be a tall order in today’s world of an ever-escalating high cost of living. Ironically, many succumb to just that – they pay the highest price – their lives in the absence of treatment facilities.
Health is one area that the Government has placed its priorities, yet that priority seems to be badly managed. There is no cancer treatment facility despite continuous public uproar, drug shortages are a common occurrence, aid posts that once were the lifeline of the majority of the rural people are either run down or have disappeared into oblivion because of downright neglect, and, trained and qualified manpower resources in the field have left to seek green pastures elsewhere.
The contrast in the health sector in terms of facilities is glaring. In Port Moresby alone, private medical facilities are a booming industry with expansions practically every year.
That tells you that Port Moresby is certainly a rich city with the opulent sector of the community seeking private medical help than resorting to seeking public health care.
Once driving up Taurama road and passing a private medical clinic where construction work was in progress, a colleague quipped: “Here, they would most probably save your life for a price, but over there (nodding towards the Port Moresby General Hospital, a mere 100m away), you die.”
Sir Joe’s successor in Japan, Aiwa Olmi once told me in an interview that the Government should consider some form of cash reward or health benefits for those who distinguish themselves in the service of the Government and the people of Papua New Guinea.
“These people will not eat their awards when they are hungry nor will they take their awards as treatment when they are sick,” Mr Olmi said in the interview.
Indeed, many distinguished servants of the country have passed on because they have not been blessed with the necessities that would sustain them in later life.
When they are gone, they are soon forgotten and their distinguished services are lost in the mists of time, never to return to act as fine examples for the ensuing generation.
We ask ourselves, “if the Government can boast of an unprecedented windfall in economic gains in recent times prompting successive supplementary budgets, surely, a little of that could be spared to buy the pressing needs of the country’s medical facilities and train people who would diligently manage them”.
Many of us, who have lost loved ones to cancer and other preventable diseases, no doubt harbour bitter thoughts about the Government’s lack of real concern in delivering the appropriate medical facilities to combat such diseases.
We are afterall, taxpayers, who are contributing every fortnight to the confers of the Government and they should in turn use part of that money to provide and deliver the appropriate medical services for our mothers, sisters, brothers, uncles, aunties, grandparents and children.
Health is one area of the National Government’s five priority pillars and if we heave a sigh of relief after our troubles have gone away, the Government would have lived up to its commitment.
As the Wise Counsellor aptly puts its: “One thing you can give and still keep, is your word …”

 

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