The ambulance at Port Kaituma Hospital is expected to be repaired and returned to the community within six weeks, Region One Regional Executive Officer (REO) Mary Williams said.
According to a Government Information Agency (GINA) press release the ambulance had been non-operational for some time and had been brought to the city in December for repairs. Last year some repairs were done on the vehicle and a fan belt and spider bearings were sourced but the mechanic soon discovered that there were other defects.
Williams said when Sacre Coeur, a Canadian mining company was moving out of the Matarkai sub-region it offered to help the hospital and the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) requested that it repair the ambulance. However, the company had faced some financial constraints at the start of the year and as such no repairs had been done. However, the REO said recently company’s Operations Manager Allan Murdock gave assurances that the vehicle will be repaired in another six weeks.
Williams said too at the RDC last statutory meeting in February, it had been suggested that since there is currently no land transportation at the hospital a new 4 x 4 truck and a motorbike be attached to the hospital. No decision had yet been taken.
According to GINA Barama Company Limited had handed over the reconditioned vehicle to the Port Kaituma Hospital in October 1999. It served the community for almost five years.
