New health post to provide vital care to remote Angoram communities

Residents of Poimbit Sarapa, Ward 35 and surrounding areas in Angoram Local Level Government will benefit from a new Level 1 standard health post, a significant step towards improved healthcare access in the remote region.

The facility located in Poimbit, was inaugurated by Angoram Member of Parliament and Minister for Forests, Salio Waipo.

The health post's construction was initiated in 2015 by Wewak Agriculture Development Limited, the developer of the Turubu Oil palm project as part of their community service commitment.

Community Health Worker Nonie Wintawa, who oversees the facility, explained that the Poimbit Health Post was officially registered with the Department of Health and the East Sepik Provincial Health Authority in 2022.

Since then, the Provincial Health Authority has supplied medical provisions. However, the previous structure had deteriorated, forcing patients to receive treatment in makeshift conditions.

"We were treating patients in my bush material kitchen," CHW Wintawa recounted.

"The most common cases we see are malaria, diarrhea, yaws, injuries from knives and wire catapults, and alarmingly, five to ten snake bites every week."

The newly constructed 9x7 meter building will serve a wide catchment area, including the villages of Sarapa, Mundomundo, Kwoiwut, Korup, Marai-Weno, Tambunum, Wombun, Kanduanum, Sangriwa, Kambrindo, Krinjamben, Moim Pinang, Angrumara, and Maramba, as well as the workers of the Turubu oil palm project.

The opening of the Poimbit Health Post marks a crucial step in improving healthcare delivery in Angoram, but further investment is needed to address the remaining challenges and ensure the well-being of the remote communities it serves.