By Bradley Mariori
Battery torch and small solar lights remains the source of light for many rural health facilities when attending to emergency and severe cases at night.
This is common throughout remote health facilities in the country and Indagen health centre in remote Komba local level government of Kabwum district, of Morobe is one such that depends on torch and small solar lights for 39 years now.
In an interview with health workers, they stated that the health centre has a catchment population of more than 20,000 but lacks proper lighting system to attend to the patients that seek medical assistance during the night.
Indagen Health Centre Officer in Charge Cathy Nasim said patients come with their own lights in order for them to assist them otherwise, they used their own torch or solar lights to assist them.
She said the health centre has wards that they admit patients with serious cases but there is no light for them to use.
They have a labor ward too where mothers deliver babies and during the night, they try their best to ensure enough lighting is provided so they can assist the mother’s.
Ms Nasim said patients comes from wards 7 to 19 in Komba which is 26 villages including neighboring villages of Burum-Kuat and Pindiu in Finschhafen district, Nabak in Nawaeb district and Sikeka, Wetnga, Gitukia and Kukuya in Tewae-Siassi district that they share borders with.
She said the health centre needs proper lighting system as most times patients cannot afford to have a torch or solar light due to the geographical location of their villages.
They have a solar lighting system setup at the health facility in 2015 but was not working now and will cost K5,000 to K6,000 to replace it.
They said funding remains a challenge and they are still waiting for help to restore lights at this facility as its eight years of darkness now.
