Lassul welcomes upgraded centre

THE opening of the upgraded Lassul health centre in the Lassul-Baining area, East New Britain province, ends the agony of travelling long distances to access medical facilities for hundreds of people.
The health centre has facilities such as a paediatric unit, laboratory, maternity unit and a fully-kitted ambulance.
The facilities will cater for all wards located in the hinterlands of the northern part of the Gazelle Peninsula, Open Bay, Toriu and the Lassul Bay local level government.
Previously people in the area had to travel all the way to Kerevat to access health services.
The opening of the health centre was witnessed by Governor Leo Dion, health secretary Pasco Kase and Gazelle MP Malakai Tabar last Friday.
Ela Motors donated the ambulance.
The project was awarded to contractors Southern Enterprise last year and facilitated by the Gazelle Restoration Authority.
Kase urged youths not to vandalise the facility.
“The health department emphasises improving health services in the rural areas and to alleviate maternal deaths that was frequent among mothers and children.”
He said there was a need to train more staff and community health workers to be stationed in the rural areas.
“We need to utilise retrenched health workers and put them back on contract to help deliver health services,” he said.
Dion said in light of decreasing health indicators, there was still a need to improve the deliverance of health services especially in the rural areas.