Centre opens new wing – The National

National Catholic health services programme director Graham Apian (left), Lae diocese’s Bishop Rozario Menezes and Morobe health authority public health director Kelly Mesere opening the new wing of the Centre of Mercy Health Centre at Kamkumung in Lae, Morobe.

By EHEYUC SESERU
CENTRE of Mercy Health Centre at Kamkumung in Lae opened its extended wing on Wednesday to cater for an increasing number of patients.
The centre opened a HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections (STI) room, doctor’s office, observation area and a laboratory.
It was opened by Lae Catholic diocese Bishop Rozario Menezes, Catholic health services programme director Graham Apian and Morobe health authority’s public director, Kelly Mesere.
Diocesan health manager Sr Pauline Mpongo said the extension was funded by Hamish Sharp, of Bismarck Maritime Company.
The cost of the work was not disclosed.
“The furniture was funded by Catholic health services,” she said.
“A metallurgy analyser was donated by a religious congregation, Mission Australia.”
Construction of the extension started in October and was completed in April.
She said the extension was to cater for an increasing number of patients and particularly HIV, having its own room.
“HIV room will be for counselling and treatment,” she said.
She said the doctor now also has his own office where the pediatrician can see patients.
“We have extended the laboratory as the extension was done due to the demand,” she said.
“It’s a general medical lab for more testing and investigation. As we have many patients, there’s demand for us to increase our services.”
Mpongo said they normally treated malaria, typhoid and for checking levels of heamoglobin.
“But we wanted to do more since we have an increasing number of TB patients, we would like to have a gene-expert machine to cater for the increasing population,” she said.
“It would also help to reduce the workload for the hospital.
“We need more equipment to investigate lifestyle diseases as well. “We must control them before they cause complications to patients as the extension has increased our capacity.
“The centre was once a standalone house concentrating only on STI treatment, until 2008 when it started integrating other health services and now growing.”
The health centre accepts referrals.