IBUSA COMMUNITY BUILDS ITS OWN HEALTH POST TO BRING CARE CLOSER TO 10,000 PEOPLE

(L to R) Deputy Governor of EHP, Keniya Kakavu, and Mr Michael Muri, EHPHA Deputy Director, District Health Services, officially opened the Ibusa Community Health Post. Pictures supplied by EHPHA Media Unit

By Vicky Baunke in Goroka, EHP

More than 10,000 people in Okapa District, Eastern Highlands Province, are set to have better access to basic healthcare after the Ibusa community built and opened its own health post without financial assistance from the Government or non-government organisations.

The nearly K50,000 facility was officially opened on September 30, marking a significant milestone in community-driven healthcare development and reducing the distance residents have had to travel to Okapa Station for medical treatment.

The project was funded and built through contributions from community members, including cash, timber and labour, while skilled carpenters volunteered their expertise.

Landowners also donated land for the facility free of charge.

One of the major contributors was Port Moresby-based Black Ant Transport and City Tours owner Sebastian Kela, who donated more than K10,000 towards completing the project.

Mr Kela commended the Ibusa community for taking ownership of its healthcare needs instead of waiting for outside assistance.

He said the community’s initiative had created a legacy for future generations and called on the Government to now support the facility.

“While many wait and complain about government services, Ibusa took the initiative and built the facility,” Mr Kela said.

“This has now paved the way for a true partnership.”

Representing Eastern Highlands Provincial Health Authority Chief Executive Officer Dr Pomuso Warima, Deputy Director of District Health Services Michael Muri also commended the community for completing the project.

Mr Muri said community ownership was critical to keeping rural health facilities operational.

He said Eastern Highlands had almost 150 aid posts, but many remained closed because communities had not taken ownership of them.

“Ibusa is different; you are a special community that went out of your way to complete this project from your own funding,” Mr Muri said.

He said EHPHA’s goal was to reopen closed aid posts and health centres so people across the province could have more equal access to basic health services.

Following the community’s investment, EHPHA will now equip the Ibusa facility with essential medical equipment and supplies, including a vaccine refrigerator and beds.

The provincial health authority will also assign a nursing officer, a graduate from Pacific Adventist University, to serve the community.

The newly opened health post includes an Outpatient Department, Maternal and Child Health section, Labour Ward, General Ward and Observation Room.

A completed staff house with a kitchen, shower and toilet was also officially opened.

The project was driven by the Ibusa Community Development Initiative, spearheaded by Seventh-day Adventist Church Minister Nathan Entano, who has been serving the Ibusa Moke community as a volunteer missionary.

The health post emerged from a broader community development plan following an informal meeting held on January 14, 2025.

The meeting first focused on reconciliation and addressing inter-family and tribal conflicts following tribal fighting, before the community developed a Social Development Vision covering 2025 to 2030.

The vision identified health and hygiene, road maintenance, education, small and medium enterprise development, law and order, improved housing and religious values as key priorities.

The community first mobilised around road maintenance, involving residents from young people to elders, before turning its attention to healthcare.

Construction of the health post officially began on April 30, 2025.

The community’s contribution included financial resources, timber and labour, with skilled carpenters volunteering their services to complete the building.

The project demonstrates how community ownership can complement government efforts to expand basic services into rural and hard-to-reach areas.

With the facility now handed over to EHPHA for equipping and staffing, the Ibusa community’s contribution has opened the way for a government-community partnership aimed at bringing essential healthcare closer to thousands of people.