Months without medicine

By MAJELEEN YANEI
Bosavi Health Centre in Southern Highlands has been without basic medical drugs since June last year, resulting in deaths from snakebite and preventable diseases.
The centre’s community health worker Fred Hamule said he usually got supplies from the area medical store in Mt Hagen but due to transport issues, there were no supplies in the last 11 months.
“Patients with serious medical conditions are referred to Moro. This would take about five days of walking, while minor cases a sent to Hela’s Walagu health centre, a six to seven hours walk.”
Hamule said luckily a chartered plane landed in the area last week so he was able to go to Mt Hagen, with an airfare of K680 at his own expense.
“I advised the Muluma, Wanagisa, Wasuwedo, Banisa, Musula and Fogomayu villagers of about 8,000 people to take care of themselves as the supply might take long to arrive.
“The six aid posts have no medical drugs and staff; everyone depends on the health centre. I am the only health worker because I am a local.
“The area medical centre will give 10 medical drug boxes to each aid post and 17 boxes to the health centre after assessing the medical needs of the people,” he said.
He said it would be a great relief to the people, but transportation was the biggest challenge.
“I met my own cost of travel all the way here and I can’t afford to take the 77 medicine boxes back.
“To charter a plane will cost thousand plus, vehicles could help to take them to Kutubu’s Waro but from there, it would take six days of walk to Bosavi, with rivers to cross and mountains to climb.
“The Waro to Bosavi road when completed, people could access public motor vehicles from Muluma station.”
On behalf of the people, he is appealing to provincial leaders to help transport the long-waited medical supplies to the villages.