The Western Province is yet to receive Personal Protection Equipment kits into the province.
In the fight against Covid-19, the PPE kits is the prerogative of the National Government to purchase and have it sent to all provinces.
Member for North Fly James Donald said there is an imminent threat that the virus may find its way across the border, and has called on the government to give Western province a priority.
“Ol Personal Protective equipment blong ol wok man blong yumi, mi no lukim yet long Western Provins, olgeta haus sik long Daru, Balimo, Kiunga, mipla no kisim yet.
(We are yet to receive the Personal Protection Equipment kits (PPE) for our health workers in Daru, Balimo, and Kiunga.)
Donald said, so far since after the SOE and the lock down was announced, there is no PPE on the ground.
“Sapos disla sik kam, how bai ol man stap wok. Em hat ya. Na ol lain blong yumi long hausik, wok man tu ol pilim poret long sevim ol man tu.
(If the disease enters the province, how will our workers attend to our people? It will be hard. Our health workers in the hospitals are also afraid of serving the people on the ground.)
“Em olsem na challenge mipla facim tudei. Mipla understandim olsem gavman i sot liklik long organisim PPE right now which em bai takim sampla taim behain em bai kam but if em i kam mipla laikim mipla ol lain long border mas kisim pas ariap.”
(These are the challenges that we face today. We understand that the government is trying to organize PPE kits, which it will take a while but if it comes we the people along the border want to be the priority.)
Picture: North Fly MP, James Donald. (Credit: Jemimah Sukbat)