School clinic opens at Sogeri

THE India Association of PNG, in partnership with the PNG Sustainable Development Program (PNGSDP), yesterday opened the school clinic at the Sogeri National High School in Central.
PNGSDP director Jim Carlton had the honour of officially opening the K150,000 on-campus health clinic for students and the 1,500 people of Koiari.
He said the school had an extra-ordinary achievement in producing the elites of this country including current Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare and Governor-General Sir Paulias Matane.
Carlton, who is the former head of Red Cross Australia, urged the students, mostly Grade 11, to remain honest in carrying out their duty and use their talents to benefit the country.
“PNG is wonderful country.
“Despite not enough government support reaching the rural population, it is truly inspiring to see how people survive to adjust in their life without those services,” he said.
Carlton said PNGSDP did not want to take away their government responsibilities to provide basic services to the people but they did it in partnership with the Indian Association of PNG to provide the service.
He said the Indian Association of PNG saw the need for the health clinic, and it was a pleasure to have such group to assist where necessary to help and foster the development in the country.
The president of India Association of PNG, Sudhir Guru, acknowledged the partnership of PNGSDP in building the clinic.
He said Indian community, which comprised of 70-odd families living in PNG, in particularly Port Moresby, raised funds annually through their charity dinner or corporate nights to assist in such projects.
Guru said this year, the association was fortunate to raise some money to assist in building the Sogeri School clinic.
The principal of Sogeri National High School, Benny Rayapan, and SRC co-president Andrew Raphael, thanked the association and PNGSDP, adding that the clinic would not only benefit the students and staff of Sogeri National High School, but the entire Koiari community.