Staffs at the Dapu Urban clinic in Vanimo, are constantly under pressure due to a large number of patients every day.
The clinic serves an estimated 10 thousand people, but the facilities at the center cannot meet the demand for service.
Compounding this is a chronic staff shortage.
There are only 3 Community Health Workers that attend to patients at the Dapu urban clinic.
Under the Health structure, a Health Extension Officer is supposed to be in charge of the Centre, however this is not the case.
Max Yawi is a Community Health Worker, and at the moment, he is looking after the Centre in place of the Nursing Officer, who has been absent from duties.
The clinic receives up to 1 00 patients daily, and one can only imagine the amount of pressure put on these 3 health workers.
With no accommodation within the vicinity of the Health Centre, staffs have to travel to work, causing patients to be served at 10am.
The Vanimo Green District, through its District Services Improvement Program Funds, initiated the extension of the Centre.
However, the extension cannot be completed due to the district not receiving most of its 2013 DSIP funds.
Max says the completion of this project will solve the problems of overcrowding, and much more.
Staffs here are calling on the National Department of Health and the Sandaun Provincial Health to come to their aid by boosting the staff strength.
At moment, there is a vacancy for a Health Extension Officer to take charge of the Centre.
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