By Tokana Hasavi Jnr – EM TV, Port Moresby
Waste water has been overflowing behind an institution that you’d least expect – the Port Moresby General Hospital.
This gushing hazard goes hand in hand with heaping, uncollected rubbish for the past twelve months. Residents including hospital staff are appalled, not only by both hazards, but more so, by the negligence of both the University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) and Port Moresby General Hospital authorities.
Lucas Enn, a hospital employee for over 30 years is baffled by the negligence of UPNG and the hospital.
Enn says his family and community are essentially living like the animals that inhabit the vicinity.
But both the waste water spillage and neglected rubbish are just the tip of the iceberg.
As I ventured into the hospital compound, as it’s called, where hospital personnel reside, I saw outdated housing facilities and rundown lavatory systems.
Surprisingly, the community continues to use the toilets, posing a real health risk.
Another hospital employee, Ken Pidik, made a plea for the POM General Hospital management to improve their living conditions.
Pidik explained how the houses were condemned, but the workers had no choice but to endure, as it was the only means of accommodation.
Today, the waste water continues to flow and carries biological threats like parasites and bacteria that cause cholera.
The rubbish is still left uncollected, whilst the community deals with aging accommodation and poor unhealthy sanitation systems.
EM TV contacted the office of the chief executive officer of the Port Moresby General Hospital, but is still to get an official comment.
Repeated attempts to get comments from administrators of the Medical School of UPNG were also unsuccessful.
EM TV News will continue coverage of this story, and other stories in relation to effective waste management in NCD.
