20 January 2015
Maternal and Child Health Equipment provided to Bougainville
The Australian Government has provided PGK800, 000 worth of essential maternal and child health equipment to 35 health facilities in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.
The equipment comes at the request of the Autonomous Bougainville Government’s Department of Health and will assist its health workers to safely provide mothers and children with clinical care and also perform emergency obstetric care and other monitoring and medical procedures.
The equipment includes infant resuscitators, electric suction pumps and examination lamps for ten larger facilities, manual suction pumps for all facilities, adult and infant scales, universal mounting carts, foetal dopplers, glucometers, nebulisers and birthing mats.
The Arawa Health Facility also received a diathermy machine, x-ray processor, developer and a pulse oximeter.
Australian High Commission Counsellor for Bougainville, Jane Gresham said the equipment which was delivered in November 2014 and distributed throughout the region will make pregnancy and childbirth safer.
“The items were selected to best meet the needs of midwives and other clinical staff in the field and are designed to be reusable and robust,” she said.
Secretary for Health in Bougainville Dr Anthony Pumpara, said that emergency obstetric care is one of the most important interventions we can support to improve maternal survival in Bougainville.
Solar powered lighting kits were also installed at each of the 35 health facilities. These wall-mounted kits will provide a viable and continuous power supply to all delivery rooms and labour wards at these facilities.