A total of 112 people with various medical conditions and illnesses were treated during a medical patrol to Wanakipa village in Hela Province.
Some of them had arthritis, skin infections, backache, antenatal care and also more common illnesses such as malaria, dysentery and pneumonia.
Barrick (Niugini) Limited (BNL), operator of the Porgera Gold Mine, recently led a team on a medical patrol to the area.
The village, located about 116km downstream from the mine, is in the Kopiago District and has a health centre that serves about 5,000 people from five Local Level Government (LLG) council wards.
The health centre is operated by the Mambisanda Agency of the Lutheran Mission based in Wapenamanda, Enga.
The BNL-led team included the mine’s medical officer, its corporate social responsibility and environment officers, and the Porgera district health services.
The consultation and medical treatments were conducted at the health centre by the mine’s Medical Officer Propis Taiyo.
“It is believed that a lot of the physical health problems are brought on by the type of activity they perform in order to survive. Skin infection could be hereditary or from a lack of personal hygiene,” Taiyo said.
Officer-in-charge of the Wanakipa Health Centre, Johnny Inni, said the centre gets its supplies from the Mambisanda hospital on a quarterly basis to supply to 12 other smaller aid posts within the area.
But on many occasions, bad weather prevents aircrafts from flying, thus the delay in supplies.
Inni said majority of the people reside on the other side of the Lagaip River while the health centre is located at the other end.
A vine footbridge, which was the only access across, has since been washed away. This prevents many of the locals, especially expectant months, from accessing the health centre.
“In a month, we only get up to three mothers who turn up for antenatal checks however, only one will make it to the clinic for delivery.
“We try to help with the little resources we have available and most times it is even difficult to make referral cases as we are limited by accessibility,” he said.
According to BNL community relations and engagement riverine supervisor Robert Mass, the aim of the medical patrol was to assist those who needed medical treatment and also counseling as well as general information on basic health.
“It also provides the opportunity to strengthen our relationship with the local communities along the riverine areas, promoting the company’s stakeholder program,” said Mass.
The mine staff previously conducted medical patrols into areas of Hewa, Wanakipa, SG3, Nomad, Bebelubi and Lake Murray.
(A Wanakipa local consulting Taiyo, left, at the health centre during the visit.)
