Families urged to donate blood

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By GYNNIE KERO
THE Popondetta General Hospital in Northern is urging the relatives of the 16 people admitted following the road accident on Monday to donate blood for their surgery.
The accident claimed 13 lives. Hospital chief executive officer Dr Gunzee Gawin said the 16 injured people would undergo surgery today and needed blood transfusion.
A PMV truck carrying 29 people from Sohe district collided with a truck owned by the Higaturu Oil Palm Limited. Two minors were among the 13 killed at Pekuma.
Gawin thanked his staff for doing their best to save lives.
“It was all hands on deck – from the cleaner to CEO – plus admin and HR staff who worked around the clock to stabilise the injured,” he said.
He said of the 29 passengers on the PMV truck, 12 were announced dead on arrival at the hospital. Of the 17 injured, one later died from multiple rib fractures.
“All the 16 admitted now have been stabilised and doing well at the moment. All the fatalities are from the PMV truck. None from the fruit truck,” he said.
Gawin said due to limited storage capacity at the hospital’s morgue, Swire Shipping gave a 20-foot freezer container to store  the bodies.
“The morgue can hold 12 bodies but had more than 20 bodies on Monday,” he said.
“A mass burial will also be arranged today (yesterday).”