As the government continues its support and commitment to improving accessibility to health services throughout the country, Prime Minister (PM) James Marape officially opened the brand-new Level-4 hospital in Kupiano Station, Abau District, Central Province, on Friday, May 26th. He said his Government had identified health as one of its top priorities and was working towards achieving universal health for all citizens. The hospital was built by Santos through the Government’s Tax Credit Scheme (TCS) arrangement at a cost of K20.224 million towards development from feasibility, design and engineering in 2010 to final completion. He said, the construction work started back in 2017 is finally completed this year to serve the people. The hospital has been upgraded to a Level 4 District Hospital Status and includes an outpatient and emergency department with a procedure room, a general ward consisting of modern equipment with 16 beds, a maternity ward with a spacious delivery room, a minor procedure room, a nurses’ station and five ablution rooms. PM Marape said the Government continues to investing in building and upgrading health facilities across the country, as well as recruiting and training more health professionals, to achieve the goal of improving accessibility to health services nationwide.

Another disappointing loss by the SP PNG Hunters, who were beaten by Kenfrost Homes Northern Pride 22-16 in front of a heaving crowd at the Santos National Football Stadium (NFS) over the weekend on Saturday 27th May. Kicking off a stretch of four games at the spiritual home of rugby league in Port Moresby, the Hunters ran out to an early lead but couldn’t overcome two sinbins and an injury to talismanic skipper Ila Alu. In contrast, the Pride made the most of their opportunities after the break to score three second half tries as the rain began to fall on the Santos NFS turf. The visitors jagged an early try through Will Partridge in the left-hand corner, with the winger icing a smooth backline movement which stripped the Hunters for numbers on their own line. Partridge converted his own try to give the Pride a six-point lead after five minutes. It was all the Hunters from there, though. Shrugging off the early scoreboard pressure, the proud PNG-based club roared to life thanks largely to the involvements of halfback Jamie Mavoko. Making just his 17th QRL Hostplus Cup appearance, Mavoko’s continual development was on show as he steered the Hunters across the park and kicked smartly to end their sets. It wasn’t long before the Hunters found themselves in attacking field position thanks to Mavoko’s influence, and the halfback set up PNG’s first points from there. With Yakopa demanding attention from the defence and Morea a constant threat out the back, Mavoko dragged two defenders over the line to score his first try in the QRL Hostplus Cup. A challenging conversion attempt just missed the left upright, leaving PNG with a 10-6 lead midway through the first half and with Mavoko threatening on the edges and Wesser Tenza scheming around the ruck, PNG quickly found themselves back on the attack. The defence had no answer for Tenza’s speed and strength as the Hunters took a 16-6 lead into the break, following Mavoko’s successful conversion. Unfortunately for the Hunters, they couldn’t maintain their rage through until fulltime. The weather turned at the break as the clouds opened up and a light drizzle settled over the Stadium. Overcome by a weight of possession and field position, the Hunters looked like mounting another unlikely comeback when bench utility Sanny Wabo made two line breaks late in the piece, but neither led to points as the Pride scrambled desperately in defense. In the end, the Hunters were asked to play with 12 men for two separate 10-minute periods and the subsequent fatigue was too much to overcome. The loss of Ila Alu – one of PNG’s most productive yardage merchants and an important link man between the ruck and the edges – also hurt, as the Hunters battled against the odds to maintain their lead to the siren. The Hunters will play their next home game at the Santos NFS against the Tweed Seagulls on Saturday 3rd June.

Air Niugini announced the safe return of one of its aircraft following an engine shutdown during a flight on Friday morning, from Port Moresby to Goroka. The prompt and professional response of the airline crew, in accordance with established protocols, ensured the safety and well-being of all passengers and crew on board. According to Air Niugini, the De Havilland Dash 8-300 aircraft, operating flight PX160 from Port Moresby to Goroka, experienced a technical issue with the Left-Hand engine, having just departed Jacksons Airport, Port Moresby. The flight crew then immediately initiated the appropriate actions as per the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). They performed an engine shutdown and having sufficiently reduced the landing weight by burning fuel in a holding pattern, safely returned the aircraft to Jacksons. Passenger safety and well-being are the top priorities at Air Niugini, and the airline would like to reassure its valued customers that all necessary precautions were taken to handle this situation. Our highly trained and experienced flight crew successfully managed the issue with the engine. Air Niugini is committed to adhering to the highest industry safety standards, and the company has already commenced a thorough investigation to determine the root cause of the engine issue, that necessitated the shutdown. Air Niugini is also working closely with the aircraft and engine supplier, and relevant authorities to ensure a comprehensive analysis of the engine issue. Air Niugini’s Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Gary Seddon said, “I would like to express our sincere gratitude to the crew members of PX160 who handled the situation with utmost professionalism and expertise, as well as our passengers for their understanding and cooperation during this unforeseen event. We are also thankful for the support and guidance provided by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority and other relevant organizations.” “Air Niugini remains dedicated to maintaining the highest level of safety and operational excellence across our fleet. We have robust safety management systems in place and will continue to prioritize the training and well-being of our crew members. Our passengers can continue to have confidence in Air Niugini as we uphold our commitment to delivering safe and reliable air travel.”  

The Eels overcame the absence of their entire grand final forward pack and an early injury to new recruit Joe Ofahengaue to hold out the Cowboys 24-16 at CommBank Stadium. With Junior Paulo on NSW Origin duty and Reagan Campbell-Gillard, Shaun Lane and Ryan Matterson injured, the Eels this week signed Ofahengaue from Wests Tigers but he suffered a calf injury just 10 minutes into his club debut. Hooker Reed Mahoney and forwards Isaiah Papali'i, Marata Niukore, Oregon Kaufusi and Nathan Brown have all joined rival clubs. With Ofahengaue injured, Wiremu Greig was forced to play 47 minutes in just his 14th NRL appearance and he led the Eels forward pack as the home side withstood a late Cowboys fightback, sparked by fullback Scott Drinkwater. "You can focus on who is out of the team or you can focus on who is getting an opportunity and all of those guys I am so proud of, especially those middle guys," Eels coach Brad Arthur said. "They are getting limited game time from week-to-week and they come in and then we get an injury early and they are forced to hang in there for us, and they keep fronting up. They all did a great job." From the outset, the Cowboys looked a different side from the one humbled 66-18 by Wests Tigers and they opened the scoring when Drinkwater swivelled out of Clint Gutherson tackle in the eighth minute after an offload by Heilum Luki. However, Parramatta's first foray into North Queensland's 20 metre zone resulted in an easy try when Greig crashed over for his first NRL try in the 18th minute off a short Mitchell Moses ball. The Cowboys appeared set to hit back soon after when Drinkwater broke through the defence and found support from Peta Hiku, who passed onto Chad Townsend only for the playmaker to be cut down short by Dylan Brown. Townsend then saved a try himself on the last play before halftime when he tackled Eels winger Maika Sivo into touch to ensure the teams went to the break with the scores level at 6-6. The Eels dominated possession and field position in the opening exchanges of the second half but winger Sean Russell was twice denied tries within a minute as North Queensland's goal line defence held firm. Referee Todd Smith correctly disallowed a 48th minute try after a quick catch and pass from Will Penisini travelled forward before Russell caught it and strolled over untouched. Russell again looked set to score from the ensuing scrum, due to a Cowboys knock-on before the forward pass, but he lost the ball attempting to ground it as Ben Hampton came across in cover to tackle him. Sivo finally broke the 6-6 deadlock when he scored in the 55th minute after Brown, Gutherson and centre Bailey Simonsson combined to create a passage for the Fiji star to the tryline. Russell put the Eels further ahead when he was finally rewarded with a try in the 64th minute after quick hands by the Parramatta backline. However, the Cowboys refused to surrender and winger Kyle Feldt scored two late tries - both of which were laid on by Drinkwater. "What he said before the game I really liked. He wanted to touch the ball and have 20 carries and when he has got his hands on the ball we are a better team," Cowboys coach Todd Payten said of Drinkwater. "He took some tough yardage carries, he took some good options in good ball and he was a real threat for us. The kid cares about how his footy grows and cares about how we go as a team. "I have really liked his intent and effort, particularly these last six-to-eight weeks." Feldt's first try was created with a long pass by Drinkwater on the outside of Sivo, while the second followed a Parramatta knock on after Feldt chipped over the top of his wing opposite. Mitchell Moses secured the win when he scored in the 79th minute. Source: NRL.Com

Despite finishing on the wrong side of the scoreboard last week, the SP PNG Hunters are back on home soil this weekend when they host the Northern Pride at the Santos National Football Stadium this Saturday, 27th May in Round 11 of the QRL Hostplus Cup at 3pm. Staring down a 22-point deficit at one stage, the Hunters roared to life in the second half to score five unanswered tries and finish just four points shy of the Seagulls. They completely dominated in all key areas in the second half, running through the Wynnum Manly defence with ease and scoring points across the park. Currently sitting just above the Hunters in 9th position on the QRL Hostplus Cup ladder, the Pride need a win to stay in touch of the top eight. It makes for a titanic clash on Saturday afternoon, with both the Hunters and Pride fighting to hold their position in the middle of the table. The last time these sides met was in Round 5 this year, when the Hunters travelled to Barlow Park, Cairns but couldn’t best the home side in a 34-14 defeat. No doubt the Hunters will be eager to avenge that loss when they host the Pride at the Santos National Football Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Head Coach Stanley Tepend said the club is keen to make the most of a four-game stretch on home soil after finishing strongly in the second half last week. “We’ve had a tough last few week but it’s exciting to be back home at NFS in front of our fans.” “It’s a great opportunity for us to perform well, starting with the Pride this weekend.” “We took a lot of confidence out of how we finished last week’s game against Wynnum Manly, and it’s important we roll that into the Pride game on Saturday.” Tepend said the focus this week has been internal but admitted the Round 5 loss to the Pride earlier this season will be in the back of their minds. “We’ve been focusing on ourselves and what we need to improve this week, but I’m sure the boys will be eager to get one back against the Pride this weekend.” “We’ve improved a lot since then and we get a chance to show that improvement on Saturday." Team List 1. Morea Morea 2. Brandon Nima 3. Julius Igila 4. Rodrick Tai 5. Solo Wane 6. Sakias Komati 7. Jamie Mavoko 8. Junior Rop 9. Wesser Tenza 10. Tommy Moide 11. Epel Kapinias 12. Julius Yakopa 13. Ila Alu (captain) 14. Judah Rimbu 15. Sanny Wabo 16. Koso Bandi 17. Seal Kalo 18. Benji Kot 19. Henry Wan Noki 20. Casey Dickson

The Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League (PNGRFL) has now set its deadline following the notice of expressions of interests advertised for interested leagues to affiliate to the PNGRFL. The deadline has now been set for 31st May 2023 for league affiliations as well as the deadline for player registration. PNGRFL’s Community Rugby League department had been conducting information sessions in all confederates over the past two months and these sessions have also provided vital feedback from Affiliates and Associates. The purpose of the information sessions was to educate and provide clarity on the requirements of leagues who have expressed interest in affiliating with the PNGRFL. The sessions covered topics such as governance and coaching education. Through those information sessions PNGRFL has also collected feedback from Affiliates and Associates regarding the challenges they face and where they need support. PNGRFL are pushing for full compliance of Affiliates and Associate Leagues. Compliance from all Affiliates and Associates is needed to uphold data into the newly installed PNGRFL MySideline Data system that captures club, player registration numbers and competition data. The system is the same system used by NRL in Australia.

As the population keeps growing and with only one ambulance funded to be on the road at any time, the number of people waiting to get help is always high in Morobe Province. The duty operations commanding officer and his team at the National Ambulance Operations Centre in Port Moresby monitor the situation with the patients through the callers and prioritize the pending cases. When one person is getting helped by the ambulance, sometimes two or three people call for help and wait for an ambulance. The high number of people waiting for the ambulance cases every day and night in Lae is a serious concern as the longer it takes for an ambulance to get to the patients, these means that patients are more likely to suffer complications or even lose their lives. It is crucial to have enough ambulances available to ensure that people in Lae have access to timely and efficient emergency medical services. St John’s Momase regional commander Anderson Poumb says there are three ambulances in Lae but there is no funding from the Morobe Provincial Government to staff these. Instead, the Lae City Authority engages St John directly to operate one ambulance for Lae City but calls from other Morobe districts come in every hour of every day. Currently, there are eight full-time professional ambulance staff and a senior registered nurse at the Lae Ambulance Station. Recruiting more trained personnel, St John can significantly reduce the time people are waiting for an ambulance and more lives can be saved. St John has a plan ready to train more people from the Morobe community to be ambulance officers and will be ready to roll if the Morobe Provincial Administration can help fund these additional staff and operating costs. PNG HAUSBUNG understands the National Government provides co-funding to St John to help with national-level operations, however, provincial-level operations need funding directly from the provincial administration to the St John unit.

The Student Representative Council president (SRC) from the University of Papua New Guinea has made it clear that the notice (toksave) for the Prime Minister to meet with the University that was circulated on social media is false. SRC president Luther Kising said, whatever that was mentioned in the notice regarding the Prime Minister James Marape’s visit to the school is false and was not aware of the arrangements. He said, PM Marape is currently in Morobe province discussing matters regarding the opening of the Wafi Golpu Mine. “I would like to tell you guys that, that information is unverified and false. I did not receive any letter from the PM letting me know that he will come to UPNG, now, the PM and other members are in Morobe.” “We are not sure when he will come back to address the students, but for now let’s be content with the SRC and focus on our studies.” Despite this, Kising presented and read the response to the students following their two petitions addressed to the government. The first petition was about the rescheduling of the exams which was approved by the university and the second petition was addressed to the government regarding the US-PNG Security Pact. Kising said, the Department of Defense responded to the second petition that consisted of 10 points which includes: 1. Sovereignty Concerns 2. Regional Dynamics 3. Environmental Impact 4. Unequal Partnerships 5. Cultural and Social Consideration 6. Resource Allocation 7. Political Dynamics 8. Transparency & Accountability 9. Long-Term Commitments & 10. Economic Opportunities The response to the petition was that the negotiation commenced back in 2020 and concluded this year 2023 with the signing of the DCA agreement. The signing of this agreement stirred up a lot of worries concerning our sovereignty which was the first point addressed with the response, “there will be no invasions by the United States. “PNG has its own laws, governed by its sovereignty and it’s guided by its own laws.” With regards to point number 4, the response was, “PNG is legislating its equal status as a sovereign nation to the established Melanesians with its partners (partners for this case, US) top safeguard the very foundation of PNG sovereignty.” “We make the article and other aspects part at the equal standing negotiating issues of our national interest.” The response also stated that a review will also take place after they operationalize this agreement. He Dept of Defense have also assured the student through the response that, the government is seeking opportunities to maximize their potential and open doors or create career pathways for every citizen through education, employment, science, and sports. The DCA will also allow every citizen to gain knowledge from the US experts to develop our own national Security of science experts. Meanwhile, SRC President Kissing has made it clear that, school has returned to its normal activities and students caught in any protest acts will be dealt with accordingly by the school administration.

With their commitment to collaborate and support local SME’s in the country, the CPL Group recently launched the Pearl Body Scrub range of scrubs in their Pharmacy after a recent collaboration of endangered animal plush toys with a local entrepreneur. The new-look Pearl Body Scrub range was officially launched to market on the 24th of May in City Pharmacy by CPL Chief Executive Officer, Navin Raju, CPL Founder Sir Mahesh Patel, Pearl Body Scrub Founder Sarah Artango and SME Corporation Chairman, John Pora. Founder Sarah Artango said that the inspiration for creating the product almost 10 years ago came from a necessity for her own skin, having had an allergic reaction to another skin product when she was younger. She had started with homemade moisturizers, creams, scrubs, and balms, then added plant, seed and fruit extracts to create Pearl Cosmetics. “We would previously do home deliveries up until 2022, where I got to directly meet with clients and get feedback on the scrub.” “Wanting an easier and accessible avenue for our customers, we approached CPL and here we are now.” “What makes our product unique is that it uses goat milk, that’s suitable for all skin types.” Ms Artango added, “I’d like to thank CPL for the opportunity, and Mr. Tomson Tomoiye and Professor Topul Rali for assisting us with our testing and certification process”. Meanwhile, CPL Chief Executive Officer, Navin Raju said “CPL has always been a staunch supporter of SME’s, and so we are pleased to now stock Sarah’s products in our select Pharmacies.” “I would like to encourage our customers to purchase and support our innovative SME’s”. “I’d like to congratulate Sarah, her team and everyone involved in the project in bringing the products to market.” The products are fantastic and we’re glad to have them stocked firstly in our Vision City, Showroom, Harbour City and Waigani Central Pharmacies”, added Sir. Mahesh Patel, CPL founder. The Pearl Body Scrub collection is now available to purchase in 250mL and 500mL tubs, and offer Lemon, Tumeric and Coffee Scents.

James Tedesco isn’t used to being called the old boy or veteran in the NSW line-up as he eyes his 20th straight game for the Blues on Wednesday night while creating some history by doing so. The Blues captain looks around and grins when he sees Tyson Frizell - the only man who was part of Tedesco's Origin debut in 2016 - back in the fold. Frizell, a year older, is the oldest player in NSW's Origin I line-up. Tedesco though is set to enter the top 10 and join Paul Harragon and Steve Menzies for the most appearances by a Blues player in Origin history. His opposing captain, Daly Cherry-Evans, will also notch up his 20th game. "It goes quick... I wouldn’t have thought I’d played that many," Tedesco told NRL.com. "I remember before my debut I was on the cusp but got injured a couple of times. I didn’t debut until I was 24-25. I thought I was late but have managed to string 20 in a row. It’s a pretty cool achievement. "I’m the old guy in the team now. I’ve got the experience and need to lead by example and make these guys feel comfortable and confident." Tedesco usually turns up to Blues camp on the back of the Roosters pushing forward with their NRL season but in recent weeks the star fullback has been a dejected figure in press conferences trying to address the club's results. The Origin arena, however, is a different ball game with Tedesco eager to recapture some form on the biggest stage - a stage the three-time Brad Fittler Medal winner has always troubled Queensland on in the past. "I feel good, obviously it’s hard work in progress at clubland at the moment but I feel like we took some steps forward last week despite not getting the result," he said. "I’ve got to park that for 10 days and put all my energy into leading this team now though. "It’s a refreshed week on all fronts for me to come here and see some familiar faces, and the Roosters boys to have a bye and have some time off." Tedesco didn't need reminding of the last time the Blues played in Adelaide in 2020, a match that ended in a shock 18-14 loss despite his side dominating for most of the contest. He added the inclusion of Nicho Hynes off the bench and selection of Tevita Pangai Junior would give the Blues some extra firepower. "It’s a really good team and I like how Freddy has picked it," he said. "We’ve got so much strike and Nicho gets a chance. I feel like our forward pack and bench is really strong as well. "Tevita deserves it and will add a lot of impact for us. Even if it’s only for a short amount of time I know I can hang around him and he’ll create some opportunities. [caption id="attachment_40660" align="alignnone" width="788"] Tedesco on historic Brad Fittler Medal win[/caption] "I’ve never had much to do with him but Nathan [Cleary] had some really good things to say about him when they played together at Penrith so it was good to hear from him and that gave us a lot of belief he could do a job for us." Away from the field, Tedesco is preparing for a life of a different kind with he and his wife Maria Glinellis expecting their first child in October. The couple got married in January following the Kangaroos' World Cup success. "It’s exciting, we’re both ready for that. We had a 20-week scan last week and she’s all healthy," Tedesco said. "The boys all say it when they have kids and go home after a tough game it’s good to spend time with your child who doesn’t know much about footy world and only knows you as Dad. "It’s good timing for the arrival in October where it will be the off-season and especially after last year's World Cup where it was a really short break. "All part of being 30 and married for me now." Source: NRL.Com

City Pharmacy Limited (CPL) Foundation successfully completed their third Cyber Sawe PNG Training for young people at the Pacific Adventist University Campus in Port Moresby. The Cyber Sawe PNG initiative aims to expand PNG children’s knowledge (especially young girls) on computer technology and safety practices while on the internet with their mobile phones and computers. The one-day workshop, which took place on May 14th, saw over 30 young people between the ages of 7 to 16, attend and learn various topics such as Cybergames, Physical Security, Digital Traces, Cyber Safety and Coding. The workshop featured a guest speaker, Ms. Bernadette Caleb, a cyber-practitioner at Bank of Papua New Guinea. She spoke about the importance of cyber security, providing valuable insights to the children on how to stay safe online. It was evident with the attendees the fun and hands on experience that was gained. Ms. Deborah Kakis, a lecturer at the PAU’s School of Science and Technology and a volunteer mentor with the Cyber Sawe Program, thanked the CPL Foundation for taking the initiative to provide such valuable knowledge to their children on campus. The third edition of the Cyber Sawe trainings were supported by CPL Group brands City Pharmacy and Stop & Shop. The Cyber Sawe Trainings was initially introduced in 2022 in Port Moresby and is part of CPL Foundation’s core objectives to empower women and girls through access to education & literacy programs, improved health-care services and economic empowerment opportunities.

The University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) has rescheduled the first semester examinations for students after deciding on it in a meeting on Tuesday 23rd May to consider the request from the students in a petition. The petition was endorsed by the SRC president and presented to the administration to reschedule the examinations due to the current situation on the ground with the students protest on the Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA). The first semester examinations were scheduled from the 18th-31st May, but due to the situation the examinations are now to commence on 29th May and to conclude on the 7th of June. Many students claimed that they are not mentally ready at this time to sit for their exams due to the current situation and that was why they requested for the exams to be rescheduled. The notice of the changes to the examination dates was released by the University’s Acting Registrar, Mr. Roboam Kakap.