By ZACHERY PER
GOROKA Base General Hospital delivered 11 babies on Christmas Day, the day Jesus Christ was born 2,000 years ago.
Staff at the hospital’s labour ward said one of the babies was born only minutes after midnight.
Sr Wanis Koran said a young mother from Bena gave birth to her baby five minutes after midnight on Christmas while Martha Ticks of Henganofi delivered her 3.5kg baby on 11:59pm, the 11th Christmas baby for the hospital.
The staff believed this was probably the biggest number of babies delivered at the hospital on this special day, compared to previous years.
All the babies and mothers are well.
Meanwhile, police reported that thugs broke into a Catholic priest’s house in Kainantu and stole thousands of kina worth of items.
Kainantu police said thieves armed with firearms and bush knives broke into the house between 8pm and 9pm while head of the Goroka Catholic diocese bishop Francesco Sarego was in Kainantu for the Christmas night conducting a mass.
Police said the house was about 50m to 60m away from the church.
Eastern Highlands police commander Supt Philip Solala condemned the incident.
He, however, said Christmas celebrations in the province were otherwise peaceful.