The people of Abau District in Central Province will soon be enjoying the services of a brand new hospital.
This will be constructed under the government’s tax credit scheme at a cost of K18 million.
The construction of the hospital will be project managed by Oil Search, working in partnership with the government to deliver this vital service.
In a statement, Oil Search said: “Construction work on the new hospital, at Kupiano, commenced immediately after the ground breaking ceremony earlier this month. It is scheduled for completion late next year”.
“The new hospital will fill a massive need for the people of the district, who rely mostly on facilities with limited capacity that have dilapidated over the years.”
The ceremony was attended by Minister for Public Service and Abau MP Sir Puka Temu, Deputy Governor Central Province Desmond Baira, Oil Search GM special projects Willie Kupo and community members.
Sir Puka thanked Oil Search for undertaking the tax credit scheme project, which will benefit Abau.
“We are very happy to partner with Oil Search to deliver this important facility,” Sir Puka said.
“We really appreciate what the hospital will do for us. I know that Oil Search has assisted many Papua New Guineans, and we want to say thank you for helping make a difference in the lives of the people of Abau,” Sir Puka added.
Kupo, who officiated in the ceremony, said Oil Search is happy to partner with the government to deliver much needed services to the people of PNG. It highlights the effectiveness of public-private partnerships – members of the private sector working with the Government to deliver services.
“Oil Search has already delivered a number of projects under this arrangement, including the Sir Manasupe Haus and the National Football Stadium.
“The Government’s scheme is a fantastic way to deliver much-needed infrastructure for the people of Papua New Guinea. The Kupiano Rural Hospital project demonstrates what can be achieved when the Government and Oil Search come together in a public-private partnership,” Kupo said.
“This community-based project needs the support of the local community to deliver the best hospital we can for the people of Abau,” he explained.
(Local pastor giving final blessings on construction site before work begins.)