Nurses take lead to fix water, power woes

The National National
From left: Kimadan Health Centre health extension officer Domithila Danny, Tinkoris Hospital midwife Gwyneth Weuta, PNG Australia Alumni Association representative Scholar Pope and Kimadan Health Centre nurses Sr Elma Mangas and Sr Anna Rhawes. – Picture supplied

THE constant lack of water and power at Kimadan Health Centre in Namatanai, New Ireland, has prompted local health workers to take action to fix these issues.
Tinkoris Hospital midwife Gwyneth Weuta, who had applied for a grant from PNG Australia Alumni Association through AusAID while working at Kimadan Health Centre, said water and power issues had been affecting operations for years.
She told The National that the K43,000 water and power projects were launched last week.
“Old pipes were connected but there was no pump to pump water into the health centre.
“I managed to have two 9,000 litre tanks installed and connected to an electric pump to pump water to the overhead tank to supply water to the maternal child health clinic, labour ward and ablution block,” she said.
Weuta said that Elma Mangas, a nurse at Kimadan Health Centre, had also applied for a grant to have lights installed around the centre.
“The lack of power and lighting at the centre has been a problem.
“She (Mangas) made it possible to have 30 poles of solar lights installed around the centre.
“As midwives and nurses working in this environment, it is challenging but we have a passion and vision which resulted in this successful outcome,” she said.