Local women from the Kurumbukari area gathered to celebrate the official opening of the new Enekuai Aidpost, a vital healthcare facility funded by Ramu NiCo in Madang.
The significant ceremony took place on Friday 11 April 2025, where community leaders expressed their heartfelt gratitude for the long-awaited addition to their healthcare services.
Seta Tigavu, Chairlady of the Kurumbukari Women Association, led women and children of Kurumbukari and welcomed a delegation at Enekuai for the official opening of the Enekuai Aidpost to acknowledge the Aidpost’s significance to the community.
“This Aidpost is one of the much-needed services for our locals,” she shared, highlighting the pressing health challenges faced by women in the area.
“Women are the most affected population when it comes to health issues,” Mrs Tigavu said.
She recounted the hardships many Kurumbukari women have endured.
“We have had instances where women gave birth on their way to urban hospitals,” Mrs Tigavu said.
Her remarks underscored the urgent need for improved maternal healthcare services close to home.
“On behalf of the women of the Kurumbukari mine project area, I thank Ramu NiCo for building this Aidpost and providing a separate room for women to deliver their babies,” she added.
The importance of this healthcare facility extends beyond maternity care.
Lynn Kurame, a women’s executive of the Kurumbukari Women Association, highlighted the impact of inadequate access to medical services on children’s health.
“Many children have died from curable illnesses because their parents could not travel far to receive the appropriate treatment,” she said.
The opening of the Enekuai Aidpost marks a significant milestone in addressing the healthcare needs of the Kurumbukari community, particularly for women and children.
With this new facility, residents hope to see improved health outcomes and a reduction in maternal and child mortality rates.
The Kurumbukari Women Association expressed its gratitude to Ramu NiCo for their commitment to local development and the well-being of the community.
The establishment of the Aidpost is a testament to the positive impact of corporate-community partnerships in enhancing healthcare access and services in rural areas.
Madang Provincial Health Authority Chief Executive Dr Sammy Thomas Kambuka said he travelled to Enekuai not just to open the new Aidpost but also to see and experience for himself the distance Kurumbukari people travel to seek medical assistances in urban centers.
Dr Kambuka said water and power must be installed in the Aidpost and women should deliver babies there, and Madang PHA would make sure these services are delivered at Enekuai Aipost.
“This is a level one health facility but it must deliver level 3 services,” he said.
“We must take these services down to the people,” Dr Kambuka said.
He thanked Ramu NiCo for funding the health facility and on behalf of the Madang PHA, he would make sure other needs of the Aidpost are met.
