Health workers receive praise

 The St John Ambulance workers did a tremendous job in the recently ended 5th Melanesian Festival of Arts and Culture in Port Moresby, health officer Rosemary Munaga said.

She said she had only 20 first aid staff but they provided the best health service at the two week-long festival.

Munaga said they treated 100 patients a week for sickness such as stomach aches, fever, malaria and diarrhoea.

“Out of these 100 patients, 10 or 12 were from the other Melanesian countries but most were Papua New Guineans,” she said. 

She said some cuts and wounds were treated at the festival sites but the severe ones were referred to the Gerehu St John clinic.

“This was our first time to go out to events and provide medication and do referrals and we successfully completed our task,” she said.

“We will be fully prepared in fuure events like the upcoming 2015 Pacific Games.”