Students warned of stress

By ZACHERY PER
STUDENTS who survived the mv Rabaul Queen disaster are likely to develop post-traumatic stress disorder, educational institutions have been warned.
John Litom, the New Guinea island emergency response coordination centre team leader, issued the warning to the institutions in the highlands where some of the students attended.
During his visit to the University of Goroka last week, Litom informed vice chancellor Dr Gairo Onagi and students’ services director Hosea Avei to keep an eye on the 12 students who survived the disaster.
He urged them be prepared to facilitate counselling on the students in case they encountered problems.
Litom led a team to the schools and colleges and asked them to allow the late registrations of the affected students.
He said the students who survived the ordeal were left with nothing but the clothes they had on. They lost everything else at sea.
“Many survivors will live with the memory of this bad experience for the rest of their lives,” he said.
“It is paramount to ensure there is a smooth transition to full recovery.”
The decision to withdraw from studies lies with the students themselves, he said.
Onagi had urged the 12 students from the Goroka university who survived the disaster to withdraw from studies this year and return next year.
But only two, who lost their spouses during the disaster , indicated they would. The other 10 are yet to make up their minds.
Managing director of Bintangor Trading Simon Sia gave K10,000 to the students at UOG.
Sia, who is also the franchise owner of the Bintangor Lahanis, said players and supporters will conduct a wheelbarrow push today in Goroka to assist the survivors.