The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced the signing of a contract with YWAM Medical Ship for three Senior Israeli Doctors to join the vessel as part of the medical team.
Israeli Ambassador to the Pacific Islands States, Tibor Shalev Schlosser, announced that this is the start a pilot project which will see a total of 61 doctors from Israel travel to PNG to provide medical services around the country.
Ambassador Schlosser announced yesterday that the doctors that will travel to PNG will are from various medical fields and will provide much needed medical services.
He said before he travelled to PNG, he learnt about some of the challenges facing the country of which health was one of them.
The pilot project begins with three Israeli Heads of Hospitals who will join the YWAM Medical Ship.
“We have signed a contract with YWAM and the first three doctors who are heads of Israeli Hospitals, they are going to land here in the next couple f days and they will start moving with the ship all around PNG.
“But these doctors are only the beginning. Our plan is to have in the next four to five months, 61 doctors to arrive at the most remote places of PNG. And this is only the pilot,” he said.
Another development challenge for PNG was Education, which the Ambassador said was crucial for development.
He added that education is the foundation on which Israel has built its economy, and stressed the need for better education.
He said the Israel Government offered courses for partner economies which can be extended to PNG.
“So the key answer is education. And this I s also my message for you today. Invest in education.
“This is one of the main mission of Israel in the world with its assistance. We will provide you with courses in Israel, but we also come here with our courses, with our programs.
The Ambassador said other initiatives currently being looked into are small and medium business development, women empowerment, Information Communication, agriculture and other key economic enablers.
The Ambassador will travel to Mt Hagen today.