Port Moresby Yacht club gives to Operation Open Heart

THE Royal Papua Yacht Club (RPYC) yesterday donated K105,256 to Operation Open Heart (OOH), ensuring young Papua New Guineans born with heart deformities lived a better life.
RPYC commodore Ron Barton presented the money to OOH co-ordinator Katherine Johnston.
Barton said: “It was a great opportunity for the club to house businesses to help put something into OOH for a worthy cause.’’
He said K90,000 was raised in donations by business houses and an auction netted about K16,000.
“Funds donated helped facilitate doctors, nurses and the technical staff to assist in the programme although more effort was needed in education and training,’’ he said.
“It’s even better for the PNG team to be involved. More Papua New Guineans need to rise up in education and maybe the programme could also expand to other provincial centres in the country,” he said. 
Barton also commended other sponsors that enabled the viability of the program to continue.
OOH co-ordinator Johnston said the funds would assist in buying new equipment and whatever is left would be held for next year.
She said with the trend in technology, new equipment would be needed at the refurbished operating theatres 1 and 4 which have ceased operation.
She said scholarship schemes will also be looked to boost trainings for the local medical team.
Meanwhile, Johnston said Curtain Brothers PNG Ltd will be funding the refurbishment of the operating theatres at the Port Moresby General Hospital.