NGO carries out family planning operations in Lae

The National National
Sr Roselyn Lote (left) of PNG Family Health and Lucy Binan of Marie Stopes assisting mothers who had undergone the tubal ligation at the Sir Bob Sinclair Clinic at 7th Street along the Cassawary Road in Lae, Morobe. – Nationalpic by LARRY ANDREW

LAE-based non-governmental organisation, the Papua New Guinea Family Health Association, carried out tubal ligation operation for women at the Sir Bob Sinclair Clinic at 7th Street along Cassowary Road on Saturday.
Tubal ligation is a family planning method to stop pregnancy where a woman’s fallopian tubes are permanently blocked (tied) or removed.
The association partnered Marie Stopes PNG and Angau Memorial Hospital through the Morobe Provincial Health Authority to carry out the operation.
A lot of awareness was done on one-on-one basis at the clinic but for intensive awareness on the operation programme, it ran for two weeks and 20 mothers confirmed for tubal ligation.
“It’s our partnership with Marie Stopes and the provicial health authority where a doctor from Angau is engaged to do the operation,” clinic manager Sr Ruth Asar said.
Asar told The National that the core activity of the organisation was carrying out awareness on sexual reproductive health and family planning was one of the activities.
She said the association had been advocating more on family planning and had seen a lot of mothers seeking consultation.
“The commodities the association provides are oral contraceptive pills and Depo Provera injections but most of the women had requested for tubal ligation where they want permanent stop from giving birth as they had come to the stage that they cannot bear any more children,” Asar said.
“Adequately, a number of women had their names and contacts given to me and I had to help them.”