US, Aussie forces help

By ROSELYN ELLISON
A COMBINED team from the US Navy and Australian Defence Force paid in a brief visit to the East Sepik provincial health office in Wewak on Tuesday.
Provincial health planner Penias Suano said the purpose of the visit was to arrange for the team to assist in health activities in Wewak, East Sepik, and Vanimo in West Sepik.
Suano said the team would return to Wewak in September for 10 days.
“Within these 10 days they will be helping out in some of the priority areas or activities in the health sector in ESP.”
He said one of the main areas of their assistance programme was rural health services and they would also conduct training for health workers.
Suano also gave a brief history of the health infrastructure in the province during a meeting with the team on Monday.
He told the team members that all health facilities East Sepik were in dire need of maintenance and repair.
“The type and quality of health facility buildings is an important factor conducive for patients and also uplifts the morale of staff working atmosphere,” he said. 
Suano also outlined some of the problems faced by health authorities in the province. They included:
l    Deteriorating ward buildings;
l    Deteriorating staff houses;
l    Very poor and unhygienic waste disposal for patients at the health facilities;
l    Health facilities have no water;
l    Supplies system;
l    No fence surrounding the health facilities making them vulnerable for theft;
l    No standby generator sets; and
l    No proper lighting system.
He furthermore stated that, insufficient funding available for maintenance and renovation by the government and no proper planning documentation and budgeting being done for all district health facilities in successive years was a major constraint.