Health services will be Wau-Waria’s biggest headache: Officer

By JIMMY KALEBE
HEALTH services will be Morobe’s new Wau-Waria district’s grave concern, Bulolo district health manager Logan Yakam says.
“Wau’s only health centre is not functioning well. Of the total 12 aid posts, only three are functioning. The rest are closed or defunct,” he said. Yakam said for the Waria local level government, all 13 aid posts were closed.
“Garasa health centre is closed due to manpower shortage and Garaina health centre is not operating like a health centre but a two-man aid post,”he said.
He said Garaina health centre was now manned by three community health workers when it should be more than seven.
“After the general election, this newly established district will have to prioritise health services as this is one key sector that is lacking now in terms of facilities, medical drugs and manpower,” he said.
He said compared to Wau-Waria, Bulolo had four functioning health centres and one district hospital with eight operating aid posts.
For the Wau health centre that has been closed for some time now, it would be the only health or district hospital for Wau-Waria that only attends to emergency cases.
Many emergency cases that are brought to the Wau health centre are only treated with first aid and then they are referred to Bulolo Hospital.
Yakam said the funds given by various funders were being put to use for maintenance works but not much were done to at least revive basic services.