Feature Story 25 July 2023
Dika Vai, Project Coordinator-Metoreia Health Centre
Australia and Papua New Guinea’s partnership prioritises strengthening local capacity and driving local solutions to promote sustainability in the infrastructure sector, and better outcomes for the Papua New Guinean people. Local people, like Dika Vai, play an essential role in brokering understanding of community priorities and developing infrastructure and services that meet the needs of local communities.
Dika hails from Hanuabada village of Motu Koita in the National Capital District. She is engaged by the Australian Government’s Economic and Social Infrastructure Program as the project coordinator for the Metoreia Health Centre development project that is currently under construction.
Dika’s role involves coordinating the project’s daily operations. She is working closely with the project contractor to complete the Level 3 health centre by mid-2024. Dika is proud to play such an important role on this significant development in Hanuabada.
Once completed, the Metoreia Health Centre will improve access to health services for more than 35,000 people living in Hanuabada, its surrounding villages, and the wider Motu Koita and Port Moresby communities.
We sat down with Dika to discuss her role and her motivation for working on the Metoreia Health Centre development project.
How important is being a coordinator on this project for you, being that you are from Hanuabada?
For every project in any village in PNG or where communities are involved, there is always misunderstanding or misinformation between each party. The coordinator’s role is therefore vital in ensuring that proper communication and understanding exists between the contractor, the villages or communities, and the client to ensure delivery of the project is on time and on schedule.
Is there pressure from people in Hanuabada who know you are working on this project?
Yes, there is always pressure from the landowners but because I am a local, I am able to better communicate with these landowners and the contractor. Because of this, disturbances are minimised as much as possible to allow for continuation of the work.
What do you love most about working on the Metoreia project?
I am privileged to be on this project and I love interacting with the contractor’s personnel. Every day is an opportunity for me to learn new things. I especially like seeing plans or drawings eventuate into real physical structures.
How do you feel this project will impact the people of Hanuabada and the surrounding communities?
Access to basic health care services has become expensive for ordinary citizens in the country. In most cases, only the working class are able to benefit by having better access to these basic services.
Having the Metoreia Health Centre right at our doorstep, I am assured that it will serve the people of Hanuabada, the surrounding villages and many more people when it is complete.
The people of Hanuabada greatly welcome this health centre. I am particularly privileged to be part of this project knowing that there is a keen focus on maternal and women’s health, an issue in the country that needs to be properly addressed through projects like the Metoreia Health Centre.
The Australian Government is partnering with the Motu Koita Assembly, United Church, NCD Provincial Health Authority, the NCD Commission to support the Metoreia Health Centre.
For further information, including access to related materials, please contact the Australian High Commission media team: +675 7090 0100