29 youths graduate with certificate to deliver health services

TWENTY-nine young men and women were the first to graduate from the Kungumanda Foursquare Community Health Workers Training School in Wapenamanda, Enga, last Friday.
Their qualification is recognised by the PNG Medical Board.
It was the school’s fifth commencement exercises – those who graduated in the first four years were unlucky as they did not receive a nationally recognised CHW certificate but still served in the health sector. Enga Governor Sir Peter thanked the Foursquare Gospel Church for partnering with the provincial and national governmentds to train health workers.
He admitted that there is an acute shortage of the health workers in the country and churches play a huge role in bridging that gap.
He called on the new community health workers to serve with love, commitment and dedication. Enga health authority chief executive Aaron Luia presented the certificate of registration recognising the Kungumanda school as an institution with the licence to conduct private health training.
Church of the Foursquare Gospel in PNG president and Foursquare national education agency secretary Rev Timothy Tipitap said it was relief for the school which had copped criticisms in the past 10 years with claims it was not a recognised institution.
Principal Sr Marivic Serafina said Kungumanda was an institution of excellent standards that will administer the holistic approach on basic health education of the highest order.
“Go out and be the light that the world wants to see. You are representing Jesus,” Serafina told the graduates.
“The people that you touch and give medicines will receive healing.”