Snow Pass

Road infrastructure, health and education are lacking at the remote Upper Bundi area of Madang Province.

It has gotten so bad that in desperation, those who are sick give pigs to fellow villagers to carry them to the nearest health centre.

One of the locals, Regina Mandawe, said though they vote in their political representative every five years, their leaders soon forget about them every time.

“Gavman giamanim mipla na rot ino kam,” she said. (The government lied to us; there is no road.)

The outreach program, an initiative of 2016 Digicel PNG Foundation Men of Honour Community Ingenuity Awardee Vincent Kumura, will be carried out by a five member team of medical doctors.

The medical team consists of two Americans, one eye specialist from Madang and two doctors from the Kundiawa General Hospital.

The total cost for this rural medical expedition down the Ramu River and the trip up to Snow Pass, Bundi and to Kundiawa, which will take 10 days, will cost K10,000.

These include vehicle hire, motor, fuel, food, skipper allowance and security.