First phase of work on hospital to start

THE first phase of work on the Pomio District Hospital in East New Britain (ENB) is expected to start soon.
According to the Pomio MP Elias Kapavore, the district has been given legal clearance by the State Solicitor on the procurement process by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on awarding contracts.
Kapavore said this on Friday when addressing the media during the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Pomio development authority (DDA) and AG Energy Ltd for the construction work on Unung Mini Hydro Power Supply project.
Kapavore thanked the State Solicitor for making clarifications over queries by the national procurement commission (NPC), saying queries by the NPC were on whether the ADB needed to adhere to requirements under the National Procurement Act 2018.
Kapavore said the Pomio hospital was fully funded by the ADB for between K35 million and K40 million and would be constructed in eight phases.
“After a three-week delay, the initial ground work should begin, as the contract for the first phase has been awarded,” Kapavore said.
In commending the ADB, Kapavore said the hospital was a level four hospital and would cover 40 staff houses.
He said the facility would be built on 10 hectares of land and hoped the contractor could move onto the site at Palmalmal in two weeks.
Meanwhile, Kapavore also explained the delay in the arrival of the MV Pomio barge for the district was due to additional modifications on the vessel in the Philippines.