Renaming of hospital breathes life into late doctor’s legacy

DR Lin Calvert, pictured, who turned 93 on Friday, witnessed the commissioning of the Calvert Memorial Hospital, named after her late husband, Peter, in the backwaters of Baimuru in Gulf.
Dr Calvert has been serving in Kapuna since 1949, even after the death of her husband, who was also a doctor.
Their children, Collin and Barbara, welcomed the change of hospital’s name in honour of their father.
The Gulf government allocated K200,000 for the hospital.
Speaking on behalf of Governor Chris Haiveta during a graduation in Kapuna on Friday, provincial health chairperson Tete Keko said the money would support the hospital’s health education programmes and the maintenance of facilities at the hospital.
The hospital had served the villages of Baimuru, Ihu and Kikori over 68 years, and trained many community health workers now serving in the province and parts of the country.
Keko said Gulf faced a serious health problem with a low level of preventative healthcare and a high incidence of tuberculosis.
Plans are underway to upgrade the hospital to a rural hospital to provide specialist services.
The Gulf government also plans to set up the health authority which will manage the Gulf Hospital and the health division.