Hospital in Mendi sends SOS

MENDI General Hospital in Southern Highlands needs more money to deal with the growing number of people seeking treatment there, new hospital board chairman Alex Awesa says.
Speaking during his swearing-in last Thursday at the hospital, Awesa said the hospital was under pressure in trying to provide services to an increasing population.
More people were seeking treatment there because most rural health centres and aid posts had shut down.
He said the hospital urgently needed its medical and surgical wards replaced which had become water-logged as result of the building’s poor foundation.
“Additional funds are needed for vehicles for outreach programmes to rural areas, essential medical equipment, more staff and doctors houses and furniture for the six new doctor’s houses,” he said.
He called on local MPs to allocate funding support for the hospital in order to maintain the hospital’s five-star rating accorded in 2009.
He said the hospital was witnessing a population growth and influx of people from the rural areas because of the inaccessibility of basic medical care services after several health centres and 60% of aid posts closed down.
Awesa urged Ialibu-Pangia MP Peter O’Neill, Nipa-Kutubu MP Philemon Embel, Komo-Margarima MP Francis Potape, Tari-Pori MP James Marape and Koroba-Lake Kopiago MP John Kekeno to allocate funding for the hospital.
He said this was because most people seeking treatment at the hospital were from their electorates.
He praised Mendi MP Pr Isaac Joseph, Imbonggu MP Francis Awesa, Kagua-Erave MP James Lagea, SHP Governor Anderson Agiru and Enga Governor Peter Ipatas for their continued support in ensuring that the hospital provided much needed health services.