Gaubin nursing graduates hailed survivors

By DOROTHY MARK
A GROUP of 66 community health workers have received their certificates after more than two years of training at the Gaubin
Lutheran School of Nursing in Madang.
Madang health director Marcus Kachau said the graduation ceremony coincided with Independence Day celebrations.
Principal Lengi Derring said during the graduation on Sunday that the school had faced a lot of problems and was on the verge of closing down last year over management issues.
An interim board was appointed chairman Paul Goodyear to take over its management.
Derring said it took two-and-a- half years for the students to graduate.
They were the same students who two years ago got sick after eating stale fish and were admitted at the Gaubin Health Centre.
“They are special students because they went through a lot of difficulties before graduating today. I call them survivors,” Derring said.
Health department human resource manager Joseph Lipu said they would create an attractive package for community health workers by 2019 so that they could continue to work in rural area.
Lipu urged the school administration to submit the students log book quickly so that
they could receive their practising licence.
Sumkar MP Chris Nangoi said he would take ownership of the Gaubin Hospital and the
school, and assist in their developments.