Hospital receives gifts from operator of LNG project

PATIENTS at the Hela General Hospital will have something to smile about over the festive season, thanks to gifts from ExxonMobil PNG this week.
The gifts included food stuff, drinks, blankets and wash kits which were distributed to the wards.
Hela health authority director for medical services Dr Tana Kiak said the company had been a partner of the hospital, providing different initiatives.
He said one of the recent and important support was a sterilisation facility with two sterilisation machines.
“It is important because without it, we can’t do operations and sterilise equipment to manage patients. For hospital runs, we need an operating theatre and a better service and Exxon has stepped in,” Dr Kiak said.
He said the company provided support through the Covid-19 pandemic by making available personal protective equipment.
Dr Kiak said the challenge that the hospital faced were space and capacity for the patients.
The hospital was once a health centre which took in referrals from the Mendi General Hospital when Hela was part of Southern Highlands.
It now serves as a level-five hospital, getting its provincial health authority status and is dealing with more than 200 patients per day.