Patients seeking medical assistance in Obo health centre have been advised to buy their own medical drugs at the Chinese shop operating in Obo as there are no basic medicine supplies in the health centre.
According to Officer in charge (OIC) Junlai Nawalin, they have not received any supplies to date when medicines ran out of stock since July this year.
He says this matter has been reported to health authorities of Evangelic Church of PNG (ECPNG) Health Services since last month and are still waiting for their response adding several requests made last month for supplies in Kiunga. However, Kiunga District Hospital is also low on medical supplies. This has resulted Obo health centre is treating more patients about 20 to 40 on a daily basis.
OIC Nawalin says not only patients in main village Kaviananga go for medical assistance, but also patients in surrounding island villages as Komovai, Lefami, Owa, Suki, Lake-Murray and Aiambak are treated in Obo.
The distance to Kiunga town in North Fly or Daru town in South Fly, and Balimo is a problem for locals as they don’t have outboard motor and dinghies including fuels and transport fares to access good health care services thus the health centre is in dire need of medical supplies.
These supplies include pain relief, plasters, glucose, hand gloves, mask, Antibiotics as Amoxicillin, tablets, capsules, suspension, Panadol, Paracetamol, Doxycycline, Clindamycin, Artemether injections, Primaquine, Chlolorquine among others.
OIC Junlai Nawalin is now calling on health authorities to address this issue immediately.
