East Sepik farewells loyal servant Mauludu

By GYNNIE KERO
EAST Sepik will remember Mark Mauludu, the provincial health authority chief executive officer, as someone one who had contributed immensely to the development of health services in the province.
The 65-year-old was laid to rest at his Kariru village in the Yangoru Saussia district after he passed away in a hospital in Port Moresby last month.
He had spent 48 years in the public service.
Governor Allan Bird described him as a trustworthy, diligent and reliable man.
“Our improvements in health performance was due to his strong leadership, dedication and commitment. Of all the things he championed, the Boram Nursing College was the one he proposed and defended vigorously. He was a big believer in quality training for health workers.”
He was born on Sept 9, 1956 at his village where he started his early education.
Children from the village located in one of the most remote areas of Yangoru had to cross rivers and walk long distances to access education services provided by the missionaries.
They would survive on kaukau and taro for weeks. A young Mark would slice the kaukau or taro in half, cook one half for dinner and leave the other half for the next day.
Sandy, his only surviving sister, would help their mother pick coffee to sell so they can pay his school fees.
Mark attended the Hayfield Assembly of God Primary School and completed Standard 1-6 from 1963 to 1968.
From 1970 to 1972, he attended the Brandi High School where he attained a Form Four Certificate.
Mark Mauludu joined the civil service on Jan 16, 1973.

“ Our improvements in health performance was due to his strong leadership, dedication and commitment. He was a big believer in quality training for health workers.”

From 1973 to 1976, he attended the College of Allied Health Science and graduated as a health extension officer. He spent 17 years to 1993 in the Southern Highlands as the health officer in charge of health centers, provincial disease control officer and provincial health adviser.
He was posted to the health department headquarters as the acting Asian Development Bank coordinator of health projects up to 1995. Then he spent two years as the chief executive officer of the Mount Hagen Hospital, before being posted to the Vanimo General Hospital up to 2005, then Kimbe General Hospital to 2008.
He was appointed Deputy Health Secretary for four years to 2011, then transferred to the Wewak General Hospital to serve as chief executive officer at the Boram General Hospital to 2015.
He was appointed the East Sepik provincial health authority CEO on July 2, 2018 for three years.
Bird accompanied Mauludu’s casket to Kariru village in the Kumun-Koboibus census division, West Yangoru Local Level Government last week.
Mauludu was behind the redevelopment of the hospital at a cost of K119 million.
He established the East Sepik College of Nursing at Boram and oversaw the establishment of four new community health posts in the province.
He also was behind the constructions of the Maprik and Ambunti rural hospitals.
Bird credits Mark for the overall improvement in health services in East Sepik because of his strong leadership, dedication and commitment.
“Mark and I had been planning a big celebration in April next year on the opening of Boram Hospital. When it was the worst performing hospital in the nation, he answered our SOS call. The Sepik people referred to Boram as where people went to die, not to be healed. Mark changed that. He brought the best out of our health workers.”
East Sepik has indeed lost a faithful dedicated servant.