Thousands of villagers walk distances for health services

MORE than 8000 people from the Akuna hinterland in Gadsup, Obura-Wonenara in Eastern Highlands walk long distances to seek health services because there is no health worker at the aid post there built 12 years ago.
The Yomunka community health board sought K70,000 from the Assembly of God Church in the US and revived it in 2011 and opened by MP Mehrra Kipefa and deputy governor Elvis Morris in 2013.
The community health board chairman Ayanti Biriba said after the opening the Eastern Highlands health division promised to provide a health worker but nothing followed.
A female nurse was engaged on casual basis in Nov 2016 then was laid off in April 2017 due to a lack of funding.
The community also sought K16,000 from North Wake Church in the US and built four semi-permanent houses for village birth attendants through their immunisation outreach programme in consultation with the Summer Institute of Linguistics in Ukarumpa.
Ten women were trained as village birth attendants.
“Until now, almost 16 years later, the place is still without a health worker and people walk distances to seek health services,” Biriba said.
He said it was about 40km to Omaura and back from Akuna and a similar distance to Gadsup and back while it was 70km to Kassam Top.
District health officer Justin Wase confirmed the struggles, saying six health centres were accessed by air while five by road.
Previously, there were 27 aid posts but the number declined to 21 and about seven are in-operation. Of the total, 50 per cent of the health services in operation are run by church agencies.