Mothers giving birth safely at Wangoi Health Centre

MORE than 100 mothers have delivered their babies safely at the Wangoi Health Centre in Kundiawa, Chimbu, recently.
Catholic priest for Wangoi Parish Fr Ryszard (Richard) Wajda said Joyce Lukas Bandi, 20, from the Karaweri area in Kundiawa, was the 100th mother to give birth at the health centre on May 9.
He said Bandi gave birth to a baby boy weighing 3.6kg. He said it was Bandi’s first baby.
Fr Ryszard made this known after he met with community health worker Bonny Goro from the Wangoi Health Centre.
“I was overjoyed seeing many mothers preparing for their day of the delivery as well in the other ward, number of happy mothers with their newborn babies,” he said. “I well remember the situation when that facility was empty and not being used for almost a year-and-a-half after being constructed.
Fr Ryszard said the Catholic Church had helped by building a new maternity unit at the Wangoi Health Centre in 2017.
But he said the health centre was unused for over a year until Prof Glen Mola started the incentivisation programme in Aug 2019 for mothers to have a safe and supervised birth.
“In the past two months, we have extended the incentivisation programme to Kompiam in Enga and more rural health centres in Chimbu – namely Kangir, Mai, Neregaima, Karilmaril,” Mola said. “We are hoping that the Simbu PHA (provincial health authority) will take over the programme at the end of this year and extend to all rural health facilities.”