20 die in Southern Highlands after facilities close

AT least 20 people have died in Southern Highlands’ Nipa-Kutubu electorate after health centres serving about 100,000 people closed last month due to a shortage of medicine.
District administrator for Nipa-Kutubu Robin Pip told The National yesterday from Nipa that all the health centres shut down early last month.
Pip said the death toll would be higher if figures from further remote parts like Mt Bosavi local level government area were considered.
“I witnessed three deaths, including a three-year-old boy who died from preventable diseases, in Nipa local level government area alone,” he said.
He said Wari Kongop, 3, from Egenda village, died of malaria-typhoid last Friday in Nipa,  Philip Wari, an elderly man from Poiya village, died from whooping cough three weeks ago and Terry Sik, 22, of Kopeso village, died from loss of blood early last month.
Pip said a private company engaged by the Health Department to deliver medical supplies to his district
failed to do so in
the past four months.
He gave his district vehicle to the staff of Nipa health centre on three occasions to drive into Mt Hagen to enquire about their supplies.
The workers at the area medical store assured them of the supply but didn’t deliver, Pip said.