Maprik

Ningi said shortage of basic drugs like Panadol, Amoxicillin and Malaria tables are among drugs lacking at the health centre. He said this is an ongoing issue faced by the people.

The sick are being referred to get treatment at nearby health centres or travel to Maprik town to seek medical help.  

The aid post often receive its supplies after every two months, but the medicines last for only a month, due to the high number of patients.  

The aggrieved said they built the houses from their own money. It was devastating to see it razed to the ground for no reason.

Three other houses belong to Albinama villagers.

The victims’s houses were burnt following a fight over the death of a 58-year-old PMV driver from Waikakum Village.

Community Health Worker Wilson Mala, said the community invested personal time and resources to build both the health centre and the school, and feel the pain of losing these properties to the hands of opportunists.

One person was reported dead and many more were injured after a clash at the Sir Lus High School in Maprik on November 11th, 2023.

The fight is alleged to have started from a drunkard brawl during the graduation day of the high school.

The displaced villagers are now calling on local leaders and business houses in East Sepik to support them in rebuilding their lives.

According to Ward 17 Councilor Robert Wamafi, the relatives of the deceased in the neighbouring village retaliated the next day (November 12) burning down houses and displaced villages.

Being the provincial capital,  Kerema has suffered from prolonged outages due to its power station breaking down.

PNG Power recognized the need for reliable power supply for local businesses, schools, hospitals, and residents, especially with the pending development of the Papua LNG Project.

The generator has already been installed in Kerema and the PNG Power technical team will commission it in December. This generator will provide power until the start of the construction of a DFAT-supported solar project in 2024.

In a recent press conference, Simon said the death of sitting MP Gabriel Kapris has left the people confused. The absence of leadership has also stalled some much-needed services, including inconsistent power supply.

Simon said in his last visit home, that the town’s services and even people are in disorder, public asserts are being misused, while law and order issues have somewhat increased.

The session aimed to provide an overview of the support available and encourage community members to submit proposals.

Ali Said Yesuf, Programme Coordinator for the EU-funded STREIT Programme in Papua New Guinea, emphasized the objective of improving livelihoods within the community. He assured participants that all reasonable proposals would be considered for support.

Dr. Pavel Burian, Deputy Programme Coordinator, elaborated on the types of assistance offered through the STREIT Innovation Fund.

General Manager Mark Worinu and his technical team were in the district at the invitation of Maprik MP and Minister for Agriculture and Livestock John Simon on the weekend.

Speaking to a huge crowd at Sologun village of Yamil Tamawi LLG, Mr Worinu said FPDA was happy to be a long-term partner with East Sepik province to provide training and expertise on the indigenous and introduced crops for commercial production.

The surrender was part of an agreement reached by community leaders, mobile squad (MS) 13 and the Maprik Police during a mediation on June 20^th following a community unrest that almost saw the closure of the Balupwina Primary School.

Investigation by police had 10 school boys face charges, and also led to the identification of the root of the riot, which was alcohol related.

The brewers and producers were given a three-day grace period starting on the 20^th.

Kambaki stated this following the induction of 24 professional stage primary school teachers who passed out in 2018.

She said the teaching profession deals with the first stages of a child’s life and it is important that teachers are well aware of their code of ethics and professionalism.

The 24 yet-to-register teachers were taken through the importance of being in a position of trust.

Kambaki said one major concern is teacher-student affairs.

O’Neill told a huge crowd that the government will build a market in Maprik, upgrade the Hayfield airport and seal the town area.

At the opening of a K4 million health centre in Maprik, the PM said the project, which is co-funded by ADB, AusAID and the national and provincial governments, is a new initiative by the government to bring services right into the community.