Delivery bed for Engan health post

Porgera Joint Venture’s (PJV) donation of a delivery bed will ease community health worker, Jonah Kupiata’s job of assisting mothers deliver babies at the Tumudan Community Health Post in the Lagaip district in Enga.

Kupiata, a nursing officer and Officer in Charge (OIC) of the health post, said mothers have had to deliver their babies on the floor because there are no delivery beds.

Tumundan is a community within the Maip-Mulitaka Local Level Government (LLG) of the Lagaip District and is about a 30-minute drive from the Porgera gold mine. It is located along the Highlands Highway, neighbouring the PJV’s Boom gate at Maip.

PJV’s Community Relations end Engagement (CRE) section in May donated a delivery bed, along with some other medical equipment to the Tumudan Community Health Post.

The medical equipment included crutches, a wheelchair, shelf, hospital bed and chalks. 

PJV CRE Supervisor, Lanyata Kelata, with CRE officers-Highway, James Ketenol, Isata Pulaip and Lupi Kari delivered the items to Tumudan.

In 2006, PJV through the Tax Credit Scheme (TCS) established a permanent health post building at Tumudan from what was initial traditional bush material. And in 2007, the company, also through TCS, constructed a L40 type house for accommodation of medical staff.

Kupiata expressed appreciation at PJV’s delivery bed donation, emphasising that it will be a relief for expectant mothers coming to the health post to deliver their babies.

“I was not expecting these things but thank you very much. These items are not for the staff but for the people in the community,” Kupiata said.

Tumudan Health Centre’s Secretary and Police Reservist, John Andita, said the Tumudan Ward One (1) community has a good relationship with PJV and acknowledges PJV’s support for the health post, staff house and other assistance.

“PJV has its ‘handprint’ here, and that is the health post. We advise the communities to look after the company vehicles that are driving along the highway. That’s why there is no record of any inconvenience of traffic movement between Tumudan community and PJV. We are at the boom gate and we want to receive such assistance, and that’s why we advise the youths not to cause any inconvenience on the highway,” Andita expressed.

Tumudan community leaders thanked the PJV’s CRE Highway team for the donation of the much-needed equipment.

In April this year, the company also donated building materials for the Tumudan Elementary School.

“The two-way engagement and dialogue, such as the one achieved with the Tumudan community and other end users of the services, enables us to build trust and foster genuine collaboration with our local stakeholders”, said PJV’s CRE Manager, Meck Minnala.

(The Tumudan health post)

Author: 
Press release