Kindhearted people have noticed the plight of the deteriorating state of the Watabung Health Centre in Daulo District, Eastern Highlands Province. Help is now on its way through Eco Housing PNG Limited.
The Lae based Eastern Highlands Company manufactures and sells houses.
While this is not the first time they are doing a project in Eastern Highlands, it is perhaps one of the first charity gesture which cost a large sum of money.
Eco-Housing PNG Managing Director John Kaupa Harro said, “The house is valued at K200,000 and plus other costs it will go up to K250,000. That’s the cost we are willing to meet for the people of Eastern Highlands, for the people of Watabung.”
Harro said he had learnt about the plight of the Watabung Health Centre two months ago when he was invited by the newly appointed Chairman of the Eastern Highlands Provincial Health Authority (EHPHA), to accompany him on his first visit to the health centre.
“We witnessed the outcry of the people there, about the health centre and the facilities so once I got back I talked to the management. I said to them, we have to do something about Watabung. At the end of the day let’s give something back to our province. So we decided to give a two bedroom house to Watabung Health Centre,” Harro said.
EHPHA Chairman Fego Kiniafa said Watabung Health Centre is located in a strategic location along the highlands highway, which is in Daulo Pass. It is also a notorious accident-prone area.
“It is the first emergency outpost for any incident, be it Eastern Highlanders, people from Chimbu, Western Highlands, Enga or Hela. That’s where they get the first response for medical health care perspective, then they get referred to the hospital here or to Kundiawa. That facility doesn’t only serve Eastern Highlands, but the state it was in was a sore sight. That is the reality we all face as government and as the health department. It is a mirror image of what the challenge is right across the country,” Kiniafa said.
In response, EHPHA Chief Executive Officer Dr Joseph Apa said it is on record that this was the very first time the PHA has accepted and received a large amount of money.
“For us management and staff we are beneficiaries of this beautiful thing that he has done. We want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts that the Good Lord will bless you and your company.
“You know this will really serve our people who are living there, and we really appreciate it. We cannot say more on the conditions of the Watabung Health Centre. It’s on the roadside but its condition is the same as other health centres at the back,” Dr. Apa said.
“This PHA has inherited rural health centres that were not maintained. We are now beginning to see where we are and we are trying to map out how we will address all these situations so thank you for coming on board and helping us,” Dr Apa added.
Dr. Apa also thanked John Nilkare during the occasion, for donating oxygen concentrators.
Each party agreed that a donation is always appreciated because times are tough, businesses are struggling, and money is hard to come by.
