AIVONDI AID POST REOPENS AFTER 20 YEARS, LOCALS DEMAND BETTER SERVICE

BY VICKY BAUNKE, in EHP

THE Eastern Highlands Provincial Health Authority (EHPHA) has officially opened the Aivondi Village Aid Post in Okapa District, ending more than two decades of waiting for a community that has long struggled without access to basic healthcare.

The opening marks a significant milestone for residents of Aivondi and surrounding communities, where expectant mothers and critically ill patients have for years been carried on makeshift stretchers across steep mountains and rough terrain to reach the nearest health facility.

However, while the new health post has been welcomed with celebration, community leaders used the occasion to question the government’s commitment to delivering essential services to remote communities.

Aivondi Ward Women’s Representative expressed disappointment over what she described as years of neglect by elected leaders.

“Our MPs have abandoned us. We only see ballot papers reach us, but we don’t experience any government services,” she said during the opening ceremony.

The aid post, first proposed in 2002, only began construction in 2023 after years of delays. Community members contributed K10 each towards the foundation work, demonstrating their determination to see the project completed.

Community representative Nick Kiamba said the facility would save lives by reducing the long and dangerous journeys patients previously endured to reach Okapa Station.

“For years we carried expectant mothers and sick patients on makeshift stretchers over deep valleys and rugged terrain, sometimes spending nights on the road before reaching medical help,” he said.

Despite the achievement, residents raised concerns that poor road conditions could affect the delivery of medical supplies to the facility. Representatives also called on the government to improve access to clean water, warning that the health post cannot operate effectively without a reliable water supply.

Speaking on behalf of EHPHA Chief Executive Officer Dr. Pomuso Warima, Acting Manager for Partner Integration Michael Muri officially declared the facility open and confirmed it is now a recognised government health facility.

Mr. Muri said Dr. Warima’s vision is to reopen all closed health facilities across Eastern Highlands Province to ensure rural communities have access to basic healthcare services.

He clarified that while the Provincial Health Authority will manage medical supplies and the operation of the facility, the responsibility for roads and other public infrastructure rests with the government.

The new aid post is expected to serve residents in Wards 9, 14, 16, 17 and 28, with a combined population of more than 10,000 people.

Community leaders have pledged to support the operation of the health post but are calling on all levels of government to improve road access, water supply and other essential services to ensure the facility can continue delivering healthcare to the people.