Enga has made history by being the first province to build its own hospital.
Valued at K500 million, Enga’s state-of-the-art hospital is nearing completion of stage one, which includes the construction of a 150-bed wing, a bullet-proof revenue collection building, 14 medical buildings and 58 accommodation units for hospital staff.
Deputy director of the project, Paipen Poko, said the provincial government started the project in 2007.
“Prior to this project coming on board, the Enga Provincial Government spent K90 million, before the K500 million component from the Exim Bank of China and PNG Government.
“Right now, the number of beds is 150. There will be more beds, which means more wards to make it up to a 300-bed hospital. We’re planning to build another 300 staff houses and two more dormitories. One will be a guesthouse for visitors.
“PNG has never built a hospital on a green field. This is the first-ever hospital to be built by the government of PNG on its own.
“Green field means, in ANGAU, it’s redevelopment, meaning there was a hospital and it’s being redeveloped; location, everything is there. This one, bush place. No hospital, no nothing. We’re building a hospital in the bush, from nowhere.”
Phase one of the project, which was set to be completed in three years, was concluded in one-and-a-half years.
The second phase will cost around K300 million, while the hospital is scheduled to open in 2023.
