Damaged health centre upgraded

The Beneria community in Hela Province can now access basic health services following the refurbishment of their health centre by ExxonMobil PNG.

Damaged by the 2018 earthquake, the Beneria sub-health centre was unable to provide health care to the community that benefited from its services.

The health centre provides immunisation, inpatient & outpatient care, HIV/AIDS testing & counselling, antenatal & postnatal support and community health outreach services to the people.

At the cost of more than K300,000, local contractors were engaged to build the new three-bedroom staff house, fitted with a 1.5 kilovolt solar lighting panel and refurbish an existing staff house and the clinic building that was damaged by the earthquake.

Before handing over the key to the new staff house, Hides Gas Conditioning Plant (HGCP) Senior Field Superintendent, Murray Johnson, said one of the EMPNG’s key goal was to restore health facilities within its project areas, so the communities have access to health care services.

“That is why our partners are very important to us. Our community health programs, in partnership with ECPNG Mission Health Services and the Hela Provincial Health Authority over the years, have continued to help improve the lives of the people of Hela Province.

“Our support towards improving health care facilities within our project areas is in line with the PNG National Health Plan 2011-2020, which is to improve health care within the rural communities.

“We are glad that with this new and refurbished facilities, no mother or father will have to walk for hours to get health care treatment for their child,” Johnson said.

The sub-health centre was established in 1979 and currently managed by the Evangelical Church of PNG (ECPNG) with the support of the Hela Provincial Health Authority. The facility provides health care services to a population of approximately 8,500 people.

Author: 
Press release