Bintang Papua, 14 September 2012
A senior official of the province of Papua said that people living in many parts of the province have never had any medical treatment since the day they were born, and even dont understand what is meant by the term medical personnel.
Drs Elia I. Loupatty, second assistant for economic affairs and
development, was giving the opening address at a seminar on the role of
the provincial government in Papua.
He said: 'This is problem for all of us.' He hoped that the seminar
would produce a programme which can have a direct impact on the lives of
the people because 'there are many Papuans who have never had an
treatment since the day they were born.'
He also said that budgetary funds should be used not only in the towns
and districts. This was because people living in the kampungs should be
helped because they could only travel from their homes by helicopter.
Speaking to journalists after the end of the seminar, he recognised that
many Papuans are very isolated and live in places where medical
personnel cannot reach them.
He expressed he hope that the seminar would find ways to help these
people and ensure that everyone can receive medical treatment.
Asked to say which kampungs were not able to get medical facilities, he
spoke about his experiences when he was working in the area. Speaking
about the district of Welarek, he said : 'We can reach Welarek but it is
very difficult to reach the kampungs . The district of Benawa is only
accessible by helicopter because planes cannot land there.'
He also said there were not too many of these inaccessible places but
there were certainly places which cannot be reached to provide the
people with medical treatment. And furthermore, it is necessary to
charter planes to reach such places because there are no routine air
services operating in the area.
[Translated by Carmel Budiardjo]