Porgera hospital closure affects thousands

National

THE closure of Porgera Hospital in Enga is badly affecting more than 40,000 people in the district and others from nearby areas.
Acting chairman of the Porgera Development Authority (PDA) Aken Puluku and councillors from Porgera rural local level government separately called on concerned authorities to intervene and address the problem.
Puluku and Cr Lepos Yawari of Taipoko ward said the hospital closed in February, because no money had been given to the PDA to fund its operations.
They said since no new PDA board was in place after their three-year term expired in 2013, theg overnment was reluctant to give money to the PDA to operate the hospital.
Puluku said the hospital was a vital service built by the Porgera gold mine and put under the care of PDA to manage with annual funding from the Government.