KTA pays tuition fees for nursing students

The Kokoda Track Authority has paid out K116, 000 worth of tuition fees for both Central Koiari students and Kokoda Koiari students attending the Kwikila Community Health Worker Training School in Rigo, Central province.

The payment done in April, this year is to instill and enhance effective health service delivery in the remote villages along the Kokoda Track.

The payments were implemented by the KTA chief executive officer Julius Wargirai and chairman Jac Deia through the board's approval.

K76,000 was paid for 16 Koiari students along the Kokoda Track corridor while K40, 000 for students of Biage and Kaina in Kokoda Koiari, Northern province

KTA chairman, Jack Deia stressed the challenges of locals accessing effective health care services due to the remoteness of the area.

He said health workers from different parts of the country were forced to vacate their place of duty due to the challenges that deprived the locals to access health services.

"It is better to train our own children to become health workers and serve their people back in their remote locations," he said. "In this way, we are providing confidence to our locals to have access to better health care service through this arrangement."

Deia said there are good health facility establishments delivered by the Kokoda Initiatives through the partnership program with the Australian government and the Papua New Guinea government.

He hope to see the students serve in those health facilities once they graduate.

This is the first engagement with the Kwikila CHW training school which the KTA is grateful to partner with the nursing school to contribute to the health work force in the province.