More than 7000 women, men and children from 14 wards in Boikin Local Level Government (LLG), in Wewak District of East Sepik Province will now access improved water, sanitation and hygiene (WaSH) services at Boikin Major Aid Post after improvements done to its WaSH facilities.
The improvements to the aid post was funded by the Coca Cola Foundation (TCCF), through the “Inclusive & Resilient WaSH for Wewak District (IRWWD)” Program which has been implemented by WaterAid in Wewak district under the PNG-Australia Partnership since 2018.
The community members of Boikin LLG along with WaterAid, district and the provincial government partners had the honor and pleasure of having representatives from TCCF, The Coca-Cola Company and Coca-Cola Euro Pacific Partners (CCEP) from New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia, Thailand & Singapore present to witness the official commissioning of the new WaSH facilities last week.
The improved WaSH services at the healthcare facility include climate resilient and reliable water supply from a borehole pumped into an elevated storage tank (9,500 liters) which then supplies the aid post. New inclusive disability friendly toilets and ramps, two male and female toilets all installed with shower and hand washing facilities, an incinerator and placenta pit for waste management and a septic system. Lighting has improved with installation of four solar panels, an inverter to support lighting and a bore pump to promote investment on affordable and clean energy.
Officer-in-charge (OIC) of Boikin Major Aid Post (Boikin MAP) Theresa Moguwen expressed gratitude and said, services such as waste from childbirth will now be managed through the placenta pit and incinerate unlike before mothers took them home which increases risks of contamination and infection in the community.
East Sepik Provincial Health Authority (ESPHA) Director of Public Health Cletus Bon said ESPHA and government partner’s value the delivery of such vital health services in the province by development partners like WaterAid PNG and donors such as TCCF, because such services were helping the government to implement the National WaSH Plan.
Mr Bon said with the improvement of Boikin MAP, the facility can now provide services according to the seven (7) domains of WASH expected from a health care facility. They are access to water, sanitation, hand hygiene, waste management, environmental cleaning and disinfection, energy and power and management.
He announce that Boikin Major Aid Post has now officially received endorsement from ESPHA to be elevated from a Level 1 to Level 2 healthcare facility (HCF) due to its improved facilities being able to provide more services and catering for more patients.
Furthermore Mr. Bon urged the community to look after the facility as they are privileged to have such facilities while many other communities were unable to access such services.
WaterAid PNG Programs Director Miss Navara Kiene said WaterAid was happy to deliver another WASH project with support from partners for community access to improved health services and thanked The Coca-Cola Foundation (TCCF) for the funding support.
She said the improvement to Boikin Major Aid Post’s WaSH facilities was the 10th project WaterAid PNG has implemented in partnership with government and donors in Wewak District, since the launching of the Wewak District WaSH Plan, with delivery of at least one WASH project per LLG since 2020.
“We have been very fortunate to have very good partners who have worked with us to strengthen WASH in the province and district,” Kiene said.
