Australian High Commission
Papua New Guinea

Kapuna Hospital receives early Christmas present with 100kw solar system

Kapuna Hospital, nestled on the banks of the Wame River in the Kikori Region of Gulf Province, has gone green this week with the installation of a 100KW solar system, powering most of the hospital and significantly reducing operational costs.

The installation of 375 brand new solar panels is just one of the improvements underway in these rural health facilities, delivered through the PNG-Australia Partnership’s Incentive Fund grant, in partnership with Gulf Christian Services in Kapuna.

Having commenced in 2019, this PGK10 million project is enabling the hospital to provide higher-quality healthcare and social services for people in the Purari Delta region, ultimately becoming more sustainable and meeting the National Health Service Standards for a Level 4 Hospital.

Previously the 70-year-old hospital only received power for a few hours each day and many critical health services, even surgeries, were performed using torches. Now, thanks to these panels, the hospital can enjoy sustainable electricity for most of the day.

The upgrades included in the project will see the refurbishing of critical community health facilities such as the dental clinic, physiotherapy unit, birthing suits and operating theatres. The construction of new facilities will also expand health care access and includes new wards for: paediatric care, accidents and emergency, intensive care, obstetrics, as well as kitchen and office facilities.

The installation of solar energy panels is another major milestone for this ongoing project and is an early Christmas present for the 35,000 people who use the hospital annually.

The PNG-Australia Partnership is proud to be working in partnership with Gulf Christian Services, enabling sustainable, clean energy solutions to boost health in the region and create additional income for the hospital to put back into their services to the community.