K6.5 MILLION FUNDING FOR KINJIBI HEALTH POST IN DEI DISTRICT, WESTERN HIGHLANDS PROVINCE
Caption: Dei Open MP Desmond Kipa (left) with Mul-Baiyer Open MP Jacob Maki at Parliament House last week. Picture supplied.
A new K6.5 million Community Health Post (CHP) for Kinjibi in Dei District, Western Highlands Province, has been given the green light following the endorsement of its concept design.
Local MP Desmond Paul Kipa said the project, which has taken considerable time to finalise, is now expected to move into the tender stage by May 2026 through the Western Highlands Provincial Administration.
He said the proposed six-bed facility is expected to serve more than 15,000 people in Mala-Kinjibi and surrounding communities, significantly improving access to primary healthcare services.
“This milestone marks an important step in delivering accessible and quality health services to our people,” Kipa said.
Kipa said the CHP will be built to national health standards and designed to suit local needs following consultations with the community, the Dei District Development Authority, the Provincial Administration, and the Provincial Health Authority.
He added that the facility will include consultation and treatment rooms, a dental outpatient unit, a procedure room, inpatient wards, a birthing suite, and a health promotion unit for counselling and preventive care services. Supporting infrastructure will include five staff houses, an incinerator for medical waste, a generator house, and ablution facilities.
The health post will be staffed by a Health Extension Officer, two nursing officers, a dentist, and two Community Health Workers, providing services such as supervised births, antenatal care, immunisation, family planning, outpatient treatment, and tuberculosis medication support.
Kipa said the facility would reduce the need for residents to travel to Mt Hagen General Hospital for basic health services.
He also revealed plans to progress the development of the proposed Kotna District Hospital, with construction targeted to begin by 2027.
The approval allows the Health Services Sector Development Project (HSSDP) under the National Department of Health, with support from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), to proceed to the detailed design, tendering, and construction phases.
Kipa acknowledged ADB and DFAT for their continued support towards strengthening healthcare delivery in Papua New Guinea.
