40,000 lose health centre

SOME 40,000 villagers are in a dilemma after Bulolo’s Wau Health Centre closed down early last month, Bulolo health manager Logan Yakam says.
“The main service building was condemned after sink holes appeared on its floors and roofs started leaking,” he said.
“It is now not fit for occupation.”
Yakam said the colonial building was severely damaged rendering the children and adults’ wards, labour, and tuberculosis wards, to name a few, unusable.
“The building was condemned, leading to the hospital shutting down and health workers laid off,” he added.
He said the building now needed to be demolished and a new structure had to be erected.
“The water supply at the health post is also unreliable,” Yakam said.
“Staff houses are also rundown and some are not fit for occupancy.”
He said that the security fence also needed to be replaced.
“The sick now have to board PMVs to access health services in Bulolo,” Yakam said.
Meanwhile, last Friday, Deputy Prime Minister Sam Basil announced at the Wau oval that plans were afoot for a K500,000 rehabilitation of the health post.
Basil also said the ownership of the land where the post was located also needed to be clarified with the National Housing Corporation.
Morobe Governor Ginson Saonu also announced that the government would contribute K100, 000 towards the rehabilitation of the health post.
Yakam told The National: “We had initially proposed to renovate the facility at a cost of K200,000.
“But it is now practical because the facility is in a dilapidated state.
“The Morobe government told us that they will provide a K4 million under the provincial support improvement programme to rehabilitate the health centre in May.
“Now we are hearing a different story.”