Guasopa Health Center facilities under deterioration
Gausopa Health Center which serves a total of 7 aid posts and the entire island of Woodlark in Milne Bay’s Samarai-Murua District is under a state of deterioration even the staff are worried about.
The nursing officer, Sister Angela said the condition of the facility is not welcoming for patients and even the health workers.
"Looking at the facility our building are deteriorating to a point we just had to close, over the last two weeks the whole place was flooded with water so the nurses have to clean the place.
"It's affecting our operation. The patients are facing hard time in rainy season as we experience leakage from the roof," Sr Angela said.
There are other issues, but the most pressing issue is the condition of the facility.
The state of affairs of what little facilities they have available to provide life-saving services on remote Woodlark Island located some 20plus hours boat ride from Alotau Town needs immediate renovation.
Area HEO of Murua LLG, Milika Siginitu said it’s been the case many years.
She said coupled with mounting issues with transportation, communication, medicine orders and more, they’re barely holding on by a string.
She said their primary service for healthcare is what’s kept their doors open to see to the sick on Woodlark.
The worst of their buildings is this one, it used to be their Maternal Child Health Clinic but the structure is clearly unsafe and had been closed since 2020.
"I need all these buildings to be renovated including staff houses," Siginitu said.
In addition their VF Radio has been down since the end of last year.
The only means of communication, Samarai-Murua District had committed to replace this but the wait continues.
Also, the ambulance has been grounded for safety issues and their outreach dinghy was vandalized and has rendered their outreach programs to the 7 aid posts under their jurisdiction closed for now.
The nursing officers told NBC that officials from the Milne Bay Health Authority and their Samarai-Murua District visited the facilities, but they are still waiting for them to address these issues.
