K5mil provided to re-open EHP health post

THE Asian Development Bank (ADB) and its partners have provided K5 million to re-open a community health post in Kainantu’s remote Jafa village of Eastern Highlands.
ADB and Eastern Highlands Health Authority officials were in Jafa last week to reopen the health post that was shut down following a fight between the Jafa and Jomposa tribes.
Authority media coordinator Sape Metta said mothers and children suffered during the conflict.
But they were relieved when ADB, authority officials and partners travelled to the site and re-opened the post.
He said mothers and children, including Jafa Primary School students, were delighted and turned up in numbers for the re-opening.
“Tempering with health services that are provided and delivered to the doorsteps of the local village communities in rural settings is a concern, especially for antenatal mothers and children who have to travel long distances to get services,” Metta said.
Metta said the health post was opened in 2019, but was closed after the conflict.
“It was quite a sad story to learn that some of the antenatal mothers from these two villages as well as the neighbouring villages gave birth to their children while travelling to the nearest health centres,” he said.
“Some even passed on with their infants while delivering in the bushes and roadsides.”
Metta added that the issues had got the attention of ADB and partners which provided funding to re-build and re-open the health post.