The Paiakona Health Centre has become the first facility in the Tambul-Nebilyer District to establish a traditional waiting house for mothers preparing to give birth.
Last week Wednesday, the waiting house was officially opened by Director for Curative Health Dr. Maddison Dat and was accompanied by Acting District Health Manager Elizabeth Pundu.
Dr. Dat commended the local community for taking ownership of the facility and its staff, stressing that health centres are not solely government property but community assets.
“If you do not take care of the facility and its staff, the Western Highlands Provincial Health Authority will remove them, and at the end of the day, it is you and the community who will suffer,” he warned.
Dr Dat highlighted Tambul-Nebilyer as the only district in the province where WHPHA is working closely with its leaders, noting that both the district CEO and the open member have supported all its district facilities with ambulances.
He also praised Sr. Serah Nap, a trained midwife serving as Officer-in-Charge at Paiakona. “Midwives are specialized nurses who know the signs of danger and can quickly save lives. Paia Kona is fortunate to have Sr. Nap leading the facility,” he said.
Explaining the design, Dr. Dat said the traditional thatched waiting house was built to resemble village homes, ensuring mothers feel comfortable, can cook, and are cared for by their guardians while awaiting delivery. He noted that modern houses often fail to meet these cultural and practical needs.
He emphasized that waiting houses reduce risks for mothers traveling long distances from remote mountain areas, where complications or infections can occur if births happen on the road.
“If complications arise, health workers can quickly refer mothers to Mt Hagen Hospital for further management,” he added.
Dr. Dat emphasized the urgency of such interventions, noting that maternal mortality rates of every 100 000 mothers, 170 are likely to die from pregnancy-related deaths in PNG. He stressed that the waiting house will encourage supervised deliveries, lower risks for mothers and babies, and give health workers and Village Health Volunteers a chance to share vital information on hygiene, breastfeeding, and family planning.
The project was made possible through a K4, 000 funding support from the Western Highlands Provincial Government.
