Department certifies aid posts

 EIGHT aid posts on Lihir Island, New Ireland, have been upgraded to level one status by the Health Department.

The department’s medical standards team travelled to Lihir to issue the accreditation certificates to the Lihir sub-district health office.

Medical standards technical adviser Peter Pindan congratulated the Nimamar Rural Local Level Government on being the first LLG to have all its aid posts upgraded to level one status. 

“Unlike many other parts of the country where many aid posts are closed and have no constant supply of medical drugs and suffer from staff shortages, all aid posts in Lihir have met the national health department minimum standards,” Pindan said. 

The accreditation represents the culmination of efforts by the Lihir sub-district health office representing the health department, the Nimamar Special Purpose Authority and the Lihir Islands Community Health Programme.

When the community health programme began in 2009, all eight aid posts fell short of meeting the minimum standards required for accreditation. The programme team then worked with the Lihir sub-district health office to improve the standards of the health facilities on the island. 

The aid posts were granted accreditation following an audit of the Lihir facilities by the medical standards team in June.