PNGDF, Health Dept start new joint project

A JOINT Papua New Guinea Defence Force and Department of Health team has started a project to provide quality primary health care to soldiers and their families.
This project is looking at integrating the force’s health centres with Health Department and provincial health authorities to made primary health care help to communities staying near PNGDF barracks as well as exploring
other support opportunities. 
The team comprises PNGDF director of health services Lt-Col Peter Kaminiel, Australian Defence Force staff Lt-Col Steven McConnell, PNGDF health services staff officer Major Bais Guale, senior representative from the Health Department Peter Pindan and from the PNGDF directorate of engineers Chief Warrant Officer Paul Pinor. 
The team plans to visit all force locations to meet with health staff as well as hospital chief executive officers and provincial health authorities. 
The team made its first visit to Lae, Morobe, last week. 
“This visit was very successful and productive,” Kaminiel said. 
The team plans to visit PNGDF sites, hospitals and health authorities in Port Moresby next month and will wrap up its visits to Wewak, East Sepik, and Manus Island in early October. 
The outcome of these visits will be the joint development of a memorandum of agreement between the PNGDF and the Department of Health for the delivery of health care.  It is hoped this project can help in providing improved health care for all.
This project is being funded by the Australian Defence Force through the defence cooperation programme, with help from the Health Department and AusAID.