Frieda River Limited (FRL) is aiding the delivery of essential health services in the remote village of Sokamin, Papua New Guinea (PNG), as it progresses its Sepik development project.
Situated in West Sepik’s Telefomin district, the Sokamin village is made up of more than 400 people. However, the nearest hospital is in the Telefomin district, which is more than a day’s journey away, making the distance a barrier for residents in need of critical care.
“Here in Sokamin, there are no roads or an airstrip,” community health worker Solina Komokap said.
“We walk long distances over mountains, down valleys, and across rivers carrying timber, roofing iron, and store goods to the village. Our bodies endure constant strain, aches, and sores from the tough life we lead.”
Despite the Sokamin village sitting within rugged terrain, FRL medical staff are providing essential health services to those in need.
A respected healthcare worker, Komokap tends to her patients in a permanent clinic built by FRL, a subsidiary of PanAust.
The clinic features a high-frequency radio, which allows Komokap to call for emergency medical evacuations using the FRL-chartered helicopter service.
Patients can then be transported to the Telefomin district hospital or the Boram hospital in the Wewak East Sepik Province.
FRL also transfers medical supplies such as vaccines and medications from the PNG Government’s Area Medical Store in Wewak to Sokamin and other villages in the Frieda River catchment, ensuring materials can reach remote regions.
Providing urgent healthcare is not the only way FRL is transforming Sokamin.
The company is advancing its Sepik development project in PNG, which will comprise a copper-gold mine, a hydroelectric dam to act as an integrated waste storage facility, power grid infrastructure, roads, air, and seaports.
Following the pledge that the Frieda River copper-gold mine won’t dispose its waste into the Sepik river system, Komokap believes FRL will serve the PNG community positively.
“We have waited a long time to see meaningful development – the kind that brings good change like modern hospitals, roads, bridges, and schools,” Komokap said.
“I urge all our Sepik communities and the (PNG) Government to support the Frieda River project, as it will bring sustainable, positive change we’ve longed for.”
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