A new Health Centre will soon be built at Lumusa in the Mul/Baiyer District of Western Highlands to replace the old one which was burnt down during a tribal fight several years ago.
Member for Mul/Baiyer, Hon Koi Trape who wants to see basic health services restored in the area has made available K1.5 million from his District Services Improvement Program (DSIP) funds towards the construction of the facility which is expected to commence in late June.
Western Highlands Governor, Rt. Hon Paias Wingti has made available another K1 million from his Provincial Services Improvement Program (PSIP) funds as part of the Western Highlands Provincial Government’s contribution towards the project which will cost more than K5 million.
The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) through its aid agency will equally match these contributions under its kina for kina policy, bringing the total contributions to K5 million.
The contribution by the Member for Mul/Baiyer was presented to the Chief Executive Officer of the Western Highlands Provincial Health Authority (WHPHA), Dr. James Kintwa by the District Administrator, Mr. Ogla Makindi and Mr. Trape’s Executive Officer, Mr. Douglas Kilipi during a brief ceremony in Dr. Kintwa’s office recently.
Mr. Makindi said the Member for Mul/Baiyer had a lot of heart for his people and wanted to provide essential services for them despite their past history and the destructions that they had caused.
He said Mr. Trape was well aware that the tribal fight and the destructions that were caused were done by a minority group while the majority suffered silently and he wanted to rebuild Lumusa and bring essential services back to the people.
Mr. Kilipi said Mr. Trape recognized that the WHPHA had had vision to provide better health services for the people of Western Highlands and he wanted it to build the new Lumusa Health Centre so that his people could receive better services as well.
He said the arrangement that the WHPHA had had with DFAT to have health infrastructure developments funded on a kina for kina basis was very good and Mr. Trape wanted to capitalize on this by making available funds to build health facilities in his electorate.
Dr. Kintwa when accepting the cheque said the WHPHA was responsible for managing health services in the Western Highlands Province and added that it was not an easy task.
He said the National Government does not provide direct funding to the WHPHA to build health infrastructures and it was fortunate to have good Members of Parliament like Mr. Trape who were ready to help and thanked him for making the funds available.
“On behalf of the WHPHA, I express our appreciation to Hon Member (Mr. Trape) for making available this money to build the new Lumusa Health Centre.
“We are fortunate to have MPs like Hon Koi Trape, Hon Wesley Nukundi (Dei), Hon Benjamin Poponawa (Tambul/Nebilyer), Hon William Duma (Hagen) and Rt Hon Governor Paias Wingti who have helped us a lot and we appreciate their assistance.
“Our plans for health infrastructure development are only dreams and cheques like this make a big difference and are welcome”, Dr. Kintwa said.
He said if the people of Lumusa or anyone else wanted service, there must be peace in the area, adding that peace was an asset and was a crucial element for any major developments to take place.
Dr. Kintwa also said that the Asia Development Bank (ADB) had also committed K2.6 million to build a Community Health Post on the other side of Lumusa and Lands Department officials were already in the province to survey the land and prepare the title before any work could commence.
He said these were significant investments and people must co-operate and look after them well once completed in order to receive maximum benefits from them.
