Australian High Commission
Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea-Australia partnership improving health care services in Western Province

Papua New Guinea Minister for Immigration and Border Security Hon. Petrus Thomas and Australian High Commissioner Bruce Davis participated in a ground-breaking ceremony on Monday 9 October for the redevelopment of Mabudawan Health Centre in the South Fly District of Western Province.

The centre is a key referral facility for Western Province and will provide vital primary health care services, including the management of Tuberculosis (TB) and multi drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) to inland and non-treaty villages of the South Fly district.

The new facility, built to National Health Standards, will be solar powered with generator back up and will have its own water supply. The 16-bed facility will include an emergency department, maternal & child health clinic, TB clinic, X-ray and laboratory service, delivery room, mothers’ waiting house, guardian amenities, laundry, kitchen, generator shed and incinerator shed.

The facility will be delivered through the Rural Primary Health Service Delivery Project (RPHSDP), an Australian Government-Asian Development Bank funded project. The RPHSDP is currently rolling out the construction of 32 Community Health Posts in Papua New Guinea.

The visit to Mabudawan was also a valuable opportunity to engage with members from the Australia-PNG Torres Strait Treaty villages.

Australia is committed to working in partnership with the Government of Papua New Guinea to strengthen primary health care and border health security in Papua New Guinea.

For further information, including access to related materials, please contact the Australian High Commission media team: +675 7090 0100

Papua New Guinea Minister for Immigration and Border Security Hon. Petrus Thomas (left) and Australian High Commissioner Bruce Davis officiating the ground breaking for the project.