FORMER health minister and a distinguished Madang knight, Sir Peter Barter was given the honour on Tuesday， May 24 to cut the ribbon to officially open a new state-of-the art operating theatre at the Modilon General Hospital in Madang.
A colourful ceremony accompanied with traditional singings by groups from Madang and other parts of the country added extra flare and spectacle to the opening of the new health facility.
The new operating theatre located in the heart of the Modilon Hospital premises is much bigger and better equipped to serve the people of Madang and PNG. The facility accommodates four operating rooms，two sterilizing rooms，medical store and nursing bay and boasts its own stand-by power generator and water supply among others。
Sir Peter， in his address expressed disappointment at the no-show of Health Minister， Michael Malabag to the important occasion。
In a delighted note， Sir Peter thanked the National Government and Prime Minister Peter O’Neill for prioritising the health sector in the funding of this important health facility in Madang.
Sir Peter also acknowledged the immense contribution and sacrifice of the Modilon General Hospital board chairman, Fr. Jan Czuba in bringing the project to this stage, and for the community outreach and engagement of Cabrini Catholic Hospital in Melbourne, Australia for the design of the new operating theatre.
National Department of Health Secretary， Pascoe Kase， who was the only distinguish guest from the government at the event was the keynote speaker.
Kase explained that the project was fully funded by National Government at the cost of K11 million， and he thanked Prime Minister Peter O’Neill and his government for greater priority given to the health sector in PNG.
“For us in the health sector, it is an unprecedented time to see such development taking place in the health sector in the last three years which is unlike before,” Kase。
He said following the opening at Modilon Hospital， next new operating theatre funded by the national government would be opened in Kavieng in two weeks time， followed by Popondetta in six weeks time。
Kase said the new development at Modilon is timely and comes at a time where a new doctors’ program is being taught at the Divine Word University in Madang.
Secretary Kase also thanked Fr Czuba for providing free project management service to establishing this new health facility. Without his assistance and sacrifice the cost of such project would be huge.
Kase also acknowledged friends from Cabrini in Melbourne, whose representatives also arrive for the occasion in Madang。
Madang Governor， Jim Kas， in his address acknowledged his predecessor， Sir Peter， saying that without his strong stand during his term for the need for more government’s priority to the health sector， such project would not have been possible.
Kas also commended the local construction company, JR Construction for delivering such a modern facility.
He said the Madang Provincial Government stands ready to support the new operating theatre at Modilon General Hospital if it wants any new equipment or funding for maintenance.