Partnership for change

PRIVATE-public partnerships (PPP) are important for the development of districts, especially in providing access to better health and education services in rural areas, an official says.
Digicel Foundation chief executive officer Serena Sasingian said this during the launch of two new mobile health clinics, co-funded by the Madang district development authority (DDA) and the foundation.
The two ambulances were presented to the Yagaum health centre and Utu health centre in Madang last Tuesday.
“Access to basic health services is one of the key focus areas of the Digicel PNG Foundation,” Sasingian said.
“This is done primarily through the construction of rural health aid posts and fully-kitted ambulances referred to as mobile health clinics (MHC).
“We have invested over K100 million through 466 community project all over the country.”
Madang MP Bryan Kramer said: “Every year, Digicel pays taxes to the Government to pay for public goods such as roads and hospitals but they have shown they are a good corporate citizen through the work of the foundation as they have gone further to invest in health and education projects such as the one we are seeing today.”
Kramer, who is the Police Minister, reminded the people that the Madang DDA contribution in the partnership was the people’s money and so it had to go towards improving the lives of the people.
The MHC ambulances, through the established clinics run by the Christian health agencies, will continue to provide much needed basic health services for communities in the Utu and Yagaum communities.
Yagaum health centre was established in 1948 by the Lutheran Mission while Utu is run by the Catholic mission.
These health centres serve a catchment area with a population of 50,000 people.
According to nursing officer Saloi Ilobb, a local who served for 43 years as a nurse, one of the biggest challenges faced by the community was transportation and access to the health facilities that were not readily available in small communities.
“We’ve lost women and children during childbirth because they could not be assisted quickly enough,” she said.
“We have two operating ambulances but they are both 12 and 15-years-old, and often break down.
“This donation will definitely go a long way to help.”
The two ambulances cost a total of K412,000, with the Madang DDA contributing 50 per cent of the amount through the foundation’s smart districts programme.
This joint initiative was part of Digicel Foundation’s smart districts programme, which fosters partnerships with MPs for the rollout of education and health infrastructure projects in districts.