A new health facility in Mabudawan village in the South-Fly District of Western Province was opened at a ceremony on 3 March, attended by dignitaries including Minister for Health and HIV/AIDS, Jelta Wong and Australian High Commissioner Bruce Davis.
The construction of the Mabudawan Health Centre was funded by the Papua New Guinea-Australia Partnership and will bring improved health care services right to the door of around 18, 000 people.
This proximity to communities will help reduce the travel time and expense of seeking medical attention at mainland Daru or Saibai in the Torres Strait; reduce maternal and child deaths; minimise the spread of Tuberculosis (TB); and provide consultation services for routine healthcare needs.
.JPG)
The newly opened Mabudawan Health Centre.
“This is a high quality facility in a very remote part of PNG. Australia is a key partner for PNG and seeing this health centre built on our border is a great symbol of the partnership between our countries,” said Minister for Health and HIV/AIDS, Jelta Wong.
Australian High Commissioner, Bruce Davis said: “Australia is committed to investing in PNG’s stability, security and prosperity through the Papua New Guinea-Australia partnership. Health is a key aspect of our partnership, and Australia is proud to support the PNG Government’s long-term vision to deliver high quality health services to all Papua New Guineans, especially to communities in rural areas.”
Mr Davis added: “This facility will help more women safely deliver their babies, and help Western Province manage communicable diseases including tuberculosis.”
“The stories of hardship faced with rural health service delivery will now change, bringing better conditions for the people of Mabudawan and nearby villages,” said Ward Councillor, Samson Maá Uku.
A local woman from Mabudawan Ward 7, Kubi Anu, said: “Communities have not received proper health services for a very long time, especially as there were only two health workers available at the previous run down health facility. Having this new health facility will make it much easier for us to access health services that we have been longing for.”
Mabudawan Health Centre is the first Level 3 health facility built in PNG under the Rural Primary Health Service Delivery Project (RPHSDP). It will provide a full range of medical services including Maternal and Child Health; dental; TB consultation and isolation ward; pathology laboratory; and Accident and Emergency facilities.
RPHSDP was initiated by the Government of Papua New Guinea and is primarily funded by primarily by the Asian Development Bank and the Government of Australia. It will construct 32 Community Health Posts and one Health Centre over eight provinces to increase access to basic primary health care services.
For further information, including access to related materials, please contact the Australian High Commission media team: +675 7090 0100