Cut off from the rest of the world, people from the Cloudy Bay district walk for three days to reach Kupiano Station in Abau district to access government services, and to sell their market goods.
It is a dire situation as the bad roads get worse each day with a continuous rainfall since last November.
The section of road from Kupiano Junction to Kapari village is preventing public motor vehicles (PMVs) and privately-owned vehicles to drive into Moreguina station and onward to Cloudy Bay.
PMVs from Kupiano are now stopping at Kikina-One village and waiting for passengers to board while dropping off passengers for them to walk 2 hours until they reach Kapari Village where only 2 PMV’s service the route.
If passengers miss the PMV, many now walk for days to reach the furthest village of Cloudy Bay, at times having to resort to sleeping on the road. The Passengers, including Women and Children, all have no choice but to make the grueling trek.
It’s been 10 months since they have been cut off from government services.
Their Health Centre at Moroguina station is currently running out of medical drugs and so far has lost 2 patients, with vehicle hires to Kupiano reaching as far as K300.
The Health Centre officer in charge says there drugs have run short and they have now told parents to be cautious with kids as a Diarrhoea outbreak has come about, the clinic has no IV fluid and won’t be able to treat seriously dehydrated children.
At the health center, a mother who delivered 3 months ago, needs an urgent blood transfusion due to loss of blood during delivery.Her state is critical as families can’t afford to cross the bad road.
Many saying their cries for the road to be fixed are falling on deaf ears as they continue to make the long trek back to their villages.
