Firm appeals for help in kids project

 AN APPEAL has been made for local businesses and the government to support the medical project Katim Na Halivim Pikinini (Operate and Help Children) to help save children facing hardships in life.

Islands Petroleum, a Kokopo-based petroleum products company, is planning the project for June 9 to 15, which will carry out operations on children from the Islands region. 

The project will be led by paediatric surgeon Dr Mathew McLee.

Giving a status report on the project last Friday, Islands Petroleum marketing manageress Annette Sete and project coordinator Timothy Masiu said they were inviting business houses and other stakeholders to support this worthy cause. 

“We are trying to get local businesses to support the St Mary’s Vunapope Hospital in Kokopo where the operations on children would be conducted, with food and beds,” Sete said.

Masiu added: “This is a very emotional kind of operation and activity that Islands Petroleum has undertaken and the important thing is to save children who would one day become someday and leaders of this nation.”

Sete said it was important to support this worthy cause that could help change a life where services were not readily available in PNG.

“Those problems may not be life-threatening but the operations can help make their life better.”

She added that the Vunapope hospital did not have a post-surgery ventilator and doctors would be making a call during the operations on serious cases if they would require its use.

“As part of the sponsorship, we plan to hold a fundraising dinner where we would ask the hospital for give us quote for a ventilator for children and so we will raise funds for that item cause,” Sete said.

She reiterated that these doctors who were voluntarily giving their time to operate on children should be supported in all forms of ways.

Masiu said that all equipment that would be purchased for the project would remain at the hospital which was why stakeholders must chip in and support the worthy cause.

Both Sete and Masiu said the project was on schedule and were glad to see doctors in the NGI region cooperate with the project which would make a difference to kids facing difficulties in life.