Marape thanks Australia for hospital support

PRIME Minister James Marape thanked the people of Australia for supporting and improving some key projects in PNG through their incentive fund programme.
Marape, also the Tari-Pori MP, said the Hela health authority was one of the top-performing organisations in the country and the support given by the Australian government would expand their operations and improve service delivery.
“I sent a text message to Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison for the continuous support PNG receive from the people of Australia,” Marape said. “The support given under the programme has resulted in some key infrastructures at the Tari Hospital being constructed.
“I am happy to open these projects with the Australian High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea His Excellency Bruce Davis, Health Minister Jelta Wong and partners.”
Marape said the hospital had improved its services and infrastructures and Oil Search Foundation was one of the key partners under the leadership of provincial health authority (PHA) chairman Peter Botten and chief executive Dr James Kintwa. The people of Hela, Marape said, were the custodians of the PNG LNG project and it was fair to help for its 300,000-plus people.
Davis said: “It is important that focus is given to the health sector and not just us (Australian government) coming in and doing something, it is very much linking the work of PHA and the local community.
“Together with the support of other donors such as Oil Search Foundation, we can see infrastructures put up that will serve the population.”