Two new ambulances have been added to the St John Ambulance fleet to assist them to continue to provide reliable, safe, and efficient ambulance services to urban and rural communities. Australian High Commission Minster Counsellor, Economics, Health and Infrastructure, Diane Barclay handed over the keys to St John Chief Executive Officer Matt Cannon at St John Headquarters in Port Moresby on Wednesday 27 July. The ambulances were funded by the Australian Government as part of the Papua New Guinea-Australia Partnership to boost St John’s capacity to address the high number of emergency responses in NCD, Central and Gulf provinces. St John Ambulance is the only ambulance service in PNG. The ambulance service covers a population of nearly 5 million people and responds to over 12,000 emergency calls for help each year. Ms Barclay said Australia is proud to contribute to St Johns work in PNG. “People from rural communities across the country now call St John Ambulance directly to attend to emergency cases - this is a real demonstration of the growing understanding, awareness and confidence that the people of PNG have in the services that St John offers” Acting Deputy Secretary, National Health Standards and Compliance, National Department of Health, Dr Goa Tau, said that St John was tasked by the national government to manage ambulance services and is providing significant support to hospitals, especially in emergency services. “The ambulance services have contributed significantly to the early provision of treatment that is critical to supporting survival, while transporting patients to appropriate health services,” said Dr Tau. St John Ambulance is a charity and statutory body that provides the nation’s primary emergency ambulance and emergency medical response service on behalf of the PNG Government. Mr Cannon said, “to save lives, emergency ambulances must carry essential lifesaving equipment. These ambulances not only help transport patients, but also deliver emergency pre-hospital care. We expect each ambulance will help us reach a thousand patients every year. “This support from the Australian Government is timely with the redevelopment of our new National Ambulance Call Centre that runs 24/7, answering to an increased number of calls to the 111-emergency line,” said Mr Cannon. The two new ambulances will replace older ambulances and ensure St John can be reliable in responding to emergencies all day and night, and in all kinds of weather and terrain, to serve others and save lives. Ambulance services are free for all Papua New Guineans requiring emergency and life-saving care at public hospitals. Fees apply for visitors to Papua New Guinea, any person requesting transport to a private hospital, or for medically non-urgent transport to a public health facility. Australia is committed to supporting PNG by working closely with health and emergency organizations across PNG such as St John and with other partners through a range of initiatives.

Veteran Madako Suari Jr and youngster Feanor Siaguru from the sport of squash are set to take the courts come Friday and Saturday for Team PNG at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. Suari will take to the court first in the Men’s Singles preliminary round at the University of Birmingham Hockey and Squash Centre against Malaysia’s Mohammad Kamal on Friday, July 29 at 12:30pm local time (9:30pm PNG time). Siaguru will go up against Lwamba Chileshe from New Zealand the same day at 7:45pm (Saturday 4:45am PNG time). Amity Alarcos will play England’s Lucy Turmel on Saturday, July 30 at 12pm (9pm PNG time) in the Women’s Singles preliminary round. “They’ve all got their work cut out for them,” said Head Coach, Marc Forster. Forster added preparations have gone smoothly. “They’re hitting the ball a little sweeter, a little harder, a little straighter, and their length is good. I think it’s just been really good hitting time for them and they’re starting to hit more of their targets. “Since arriving it’s been all good, no problems. We’ve been putting in two sessions a day and hopefully they all can play as well as they can come Friday and Saturday.” In other updates: Team PNG’s boxers will commence competition as well on Friday, July 29 with John Ume and Charles Keama into the rings first against Malawi and Zambia boxers respectively. Team PNG’s swimmers Ryan Maskelyne and Georgia-Leigh Vele will also begin competition starting this Friday. Photo Credit: Team PNG

Nine suspects were arrested and charged for being in possession of a M16A2 rifle, live ammunition as well as Police and PNG Defence Force Uniforms in the Southern Highlands Province (SHP). Southern Highlands Provincial Police Commander Chief Inspector Daniel Yangen said the suspects were arrested on July 20 and charged with two counts each under section 7 and section 65A of the Firearms Act and two counts each under section 16 of the Summary Offences Act. Mr Yangen said the suspects' ages range from 19 to 45 years old and were from the Nipa Kutubu and Mendi Munihu districts in the Southern Highlands province (SHP). Members of the Police Mobile Squad and the PNG Defence Force were on patrol along the Mendi-Nipa road when they came across a suspicious vehicle (Toyota land Cruiser, ten-seater white in colour bearing registration number HAY 084). The security personnel intercepted the suspicious vehicle at the Megi Hill and searched the vehicle. They found a high powered M16 A2 rifle with fully loaded magazine and seven extra live 5.56mm ammunition, Police Field Uniform as well as PNG Defence Force camouflage uniform in the vehicle. The suspects were brought to Mendi, charged and locked up. Mr Yangen said according to the serial number obtained from the rifle it is a PNG Defence Force issued firearm. He said the suspects were remanded at the Buiebi Prison in the Southern Highlands, then onto the Baisu Correctional Service in the Western Highlands province. The suspects will appear in court on Thursday 28 July. Mr Yangen commended the members of the security forces for a job well done in confiscating the high-powered firearm. “We have more to go and the first part was completed. We are in the middle of the election security operations and by the end of this month we should complete this operation. All members of the disciplinary forces are working well and I want them to maintain the same spirit. “We are working tirelessly to ensure law and order prevails in the province. We have done the polling in a peaceful manner and we are also expecting the same result during the counting and the declaration periods,” Mr Yangen said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police and Chief of Operations Anton Billie has commended provinces in the highlands west, Simbu, Jiwaka and Western Highlands, for a peaceful polling and counting during the 2022 National General Election. He said counting and declaration of the 2022 National General Election in Western Highlands, Jiwaka and Simbu provinces are progressing peacefully without much disturbances as expected. Mr Billie made these remarks following the declaration of Hon. William Duma for the Mt Hagen Open and Hon. Don Polye for Kandep Open on Tuesday July 26 as well as Hon. Dr Tom Lino who retained his Wabag Open seat on Monday July 25 at the Papua New Guinea Defence Force Singirok Barracks in Jiwaka Province. Mr Billie said these electorates have been a security concern during the campaign and polling period but the counting and declarations have so far been peaceful. “I want to commend all candidates’ supporters for their cooperation and leadership during this election. At the end of the day there is only one winner to represent us but you all are still leaders in your own community, districts and provinces. I’m urging all candidates and supporters to work with all member elects to ensure business and daily living of citizens resume normal,” Mr Billie said. He also highlighted that counting for the Western Highlands regional and other open seats are progressing well under heightened security surveillance. He said winners for all provinces in the highlands region are expected before the extended date for the return of writs on 12 August 2022.  

A man who has lived with HIV since the 1980s seems to have been cured in only the fourth such case, say doctors. He was given a bone marrow transplant to treat blood cancer leukemia from a donor who was naturally resistant to the virus. The 66-year-old, who does not want to be identified, has stopped taking HIV medication. He said he was "beyond grateful" the virus could no longer be found in his body. The man is known as the "City of Hope" patient after the hospital where he was treated in Duarte, California. Many of his friends died from HIV in the era before antiretroviral drugs could give people a near-normal life expectancy. 'I never thought I would see the day' Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) damages the body's immune system. This can lead to Aids (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) and the body struggling to fight off infection. In a statement, the man said: "When I was diagnosed with HIV in 1988, like many others, I thought it was a death sentence. "I never thought I would live to see the day that I no longer have HIV." However, he was given the therapy not for his HIV, but because he developed the blood cancer leukaemia at the age of 63. The man's medical team decided he needed a bone marrow transplant to replace his cancerous blood cells. By coincidence, the donor was resistant to HIV. The virus gets into our body's white blood cells by using a microscopic doorway - a protein called CCR5. However, some people, including the donor, have CCR5 mutations that bolt the door shut and keep out HIV. Cure remains 'Holy Grail' The City of Hope patient was closely monitored after the transplant, and levels of the HIV became undetectable in his body. He has now been in remission for more than 17 months. "We were thrilled to let him know that his HIV is in remission and he no longer needs to take antiretroviral therapy that he had been on for over 30 years," said Dr Jana Dickter, an infectious diseases doctor at City of Hope. The first time this happened was in 2011 when Timothy Ray Brown - known as the Berlin Patient - became the first person in the world to be cured of HIV. There have now been three similar cases in the past three years. The City of Hope patient is both the oldest patient to be treated in this way and the one who has lived with HIV for the longest time. However, bone marrow transplants are not going to revolutionize HIV treatment for the 38 million people in the world currently infected. Dr Dickter told me: "It's a complex procedure with significant potential side effects. So, it's not really a suitable option for most people living with HIV." However, researchers are looking at ways of targeting the CCR5 doorway using gene therapy as a potential treatment. The case was reported at the Aids 2022 conference in Montreal, Canada. Commenting on the findings, Prof Sharon Lewin, president-elect of the International Aids Society, said: "A cure remains the Holy Grail of HIV research." She said there had been a "handful of individual cure cases before" and they provided "continued hope for people living with HIV, and inspiration for the scientific community. SOURCE: ABC NEWS.COM

Acting Official Secretary Mr. Bill Toraso has confirmed that Governor for Madang province Hon. Peter Yama and Governor for Gulf province Hon. Chris Haiveta have been recommended for awards in the Queen’s Birthday Imperial Honours and Awards.  Mr. Toraso was responding to a recent media article that referred to Governor Yama as Sir Peter even though Mr. Yama was not awarded a knighthood by the Governor General.   Mr. Toraso clarified that Mr. Yama has been recommended for an award together with Gulf Governor Chris Haiveta.  That recommendation has since been sent to Buckingham Palace awaiting approval.   Mr. Toraso said, once approval is given, the appropriate awards and titles will be awarded to the two Governors accordingly.     “The process for nomination for awards under Imperial Honours and Awards for Mr. Yama and Mr. Haiveta was done and sent to London awaiting final approval. Once approval is given, both Governors will be notified to receive their awards with the appropriate titles,” Mr. Toraso said.  PC: Parliament of Papua New Guinea web

TISA Community Finance Ltd (TCF), a wholly owned subsidiary of Teachers Savings and Loan Society Ltd and licensed financial institution, announces the appointment of Sir L. Wilson Kamit, CBE Kt as Chairman of its Board of Directors effective 21 July 2022. Sir Wilson brings to the TCF Board, a wealth of expertise and leadership experience to further strengthen the subsidiary’s focus on providing financial services and products to the retail and commercial segment, including Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). With a vast leadership experience in financial sector regulation, business, banking, economics, superannuation, investments, and insurance sector the board of TCF is confident in its appointment of Sir Wilson as the Board Chair. Sir Wilson began his career as a graduate research officer at the Central Bank on July 1975 progressing through many management roles before being appointed Deputy Governor in 1991 then Governor in 1999. As Governor, he was also the alternate Governor representing PNG on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and was the Registrar of Savings and Loans Societies. Since then Sir Wilson has held numerous industry board engagements such as being alternate executive director for the Asian Development Bank in Manila, a Director for the InterOil Corporation, PNG Sustainable Development Programme Limited (PNGSDP) and Credit Corporation Limited. He is currently a member of the Independent Advisory Group (IAG) and a member of the University of Papua New Guinea Interim Council. With close to 5 decades of numerous professional and community pursuits Sir Wilson is an invaluable addition to the TCF Board and its progress to upgrading its NBFI License to a full Commercial Banking License.

Meagen Gunemba’s two second-half goals, either side of Samoa having a penalty saved, secured the win after Charlie Yanding had given PNG a first-half lead. While Samoa were intent on playing out from the back, Papua New Guinea were happy to press them in midfield, continuously winning the ball as a consequence. Early chances followed for PNG, Gunemba heading over and Samoa goalkeeper Ronisa Lipi making a sharp save from Sonia Embahe. Paul Ifill’s side did look dangerous once they entered PNG’s defensive third. Torijan Lyne-Lewis twice had attempts from range while Jayda Stewart showed her ability to get beyond the defence, but could only hook her left-foot shot wide. PNG remained the more threatening, Embahe missing from close range, Gunemba’s goalbound corner-kick forcing an acrobatic save from Lipi before Rayleen Bauelua whipped a long-range volley just wide of the post. Eventually, PNG’s first-half pressure did pay off. Bauelua, as she did throughout the game, won possession in midfield before unleashing Ramona Padio, whose pass split the Samoa defence to allow Yanding a finish from close-range. PNG head coach Nicola Demaine was in the opposite dugout when these two nations met at the 2018 edition of the Women’s Nations Cup. On that occasion, she was on the losing side, as PNG won 5-0. Early in the second period PNG looked to secure their boss a win four years on. Gunemba, who scored a hat-trick in that 2018 meeting, repeated her trick from the quarter-final, as her corner-kick evaded two Samoa defenders and the goalie before nestling in the back of the net for 2-0. Lipi was then called into action on two occasions, preventing Padio and then Gunemba, before Samoa were given a golden opportunity to claw their way back into the game. PNG defender Lucy Maino fouled the pacey Sariah Taeaoalii in the box but PNG stopper Faith Kasiray saved Samoa skipper Monique Fischer’s spot-kick to maintain a two-goal advantage. Any hope Samoa had of pulling off a comeback was then extinguished as Gunemba fired home a powerful strike from 25 yards to book PNG’s place in Saturday’s final against either host nation Fiji or the Solomon Islands. Samoa will face the losers of that semi-final in the third/fourth playoff, and will take the positives from an impressive tournament performance which belies their current FIFA World Ranking of 109. SOURCE: Oceania Football.com

Nambawan Super Chairman, Mr Reg Monagi, today announced the resignation of Dr Thomas Webster after his recent appointment as an Independent Trustee Director in January this year. In May, Dr Webster advised the Nambawan Super Board of Directors that it would be untenable for him to continue as an Independent Trustee Director due to a personal conflict of interest. Mr Monagi expressed that it was unfortunate to lose a highly skilled and experienced Director, however, the Board recognizes Dr Webster’s integrity in abiding by the Prudential Standards under which the Fund operates, as regulated by the Bank of PNG. “The Board was looking forward to Dr Webster’s contribution towards the growth of the Fund with his vast experiences and knowledge, however, we recognise his integrity in making this decision and accept his resignation”, Mr Monagi stated. “The Board is responsible for the oversight of the Fund to ensure it is managed in accordance with the Principles of Good Governance. As an Accumulation Fund, our purpose is to invest and grow the savings of our members for their retirement.” “As such, the Board applies an independent process, when appointing a new Director, that is aligned to its succession plan and skills matrix. This process dictates the course of action to be taken when there are conflicts of interest for Directors.” “On behalf of the Board, I thank Dr Webster for his contributions during his short tenure on the Board and I wish him well in his future endevours”, he concluded

I was deeply saddened by recent reports of election-related violence that threaten democracy, equality, and the rule of law in Papua New Guinea. We applaud the swift actions taken thus far by the police, Correctional Service, and defense force to restore peace and order. We stand by the people of Papua New Guinea and support the peaceful and democratic election of leaders. We urge all parties to reject violence in all forms. We stress the need for a strong and democratic Papua New Guinean government and people able to govern fairly and deliver services to the people. A stable, prosperous, and secure Papua New Guinea can only be achieved through open dialogue, fair elections, and a peaceful transition of power. Our Mission reinforces the foundations of good governance by encouraging all citizens — including women, youth and other marginalized groups — to participate in democratic processes more equitably. Our programs promote just, engaged, civic-minded, and transparent government by building the capacity of governments, civil society, marginalized groups, the private sector, and citizens. We underscore that Papua New Guinea’s future is in the hands of all of its people. Elections – giving voice to each individual – must be peaceful and fair, division of resources must be managed in a transparent, responsible, and accountable manner, and rights must be protected for all. We urge Papua New Guinea’s leaders to uphold the rule of law and ensure the safety of all persons and property, particularly its most vulnerable members of society, during elections and beyond. All democracies by their nature are an evolutionary process in which the will of the people guides the path forward. We stand with the democratic process and will continue to advocate that government, civil society, and the private sector promote peaceful pluralism, rule of law, and democratic governance in Papua New Guinea.

Two-time Commonwealth Games representative and Pacific Games Gold Medallist John Ume was announced as Team PNG's male flag bearer to the Commonwealth Games on Tuesday, July 26.   The Papua New Guinean boxer joins another Olympian and Commonwealth Games representative Rellie Kaputin as the female flag bearer to lead Team PNG out at the Opening Ceremony on Thursday, July 28, 2022, in accordance to the Games protocol.    The announcement was made by President of the PNG Commonwealth Games Association Sir John Dawanincura during the Welcome Kibung (meet-and-greet) hosted by the Papua New Guinean community in Birmingham.   The 25-year-old from Mekeo in the Central province was humbled by the news and encouraged the other members of Team PNG to continue to strive to give their very best at the Games.   “We are prepared, so let’s go out and do our best,” said the 2019 Pacific Games Gold Medalist.   Rellie echoed similar sentiments saying to her fellow athletes “to represent PNG in the red, black and gold colours with pride.”   Boxers poised and ready    Meanwhile, Team PNG’s boxers continue to put in the hard work at training and are progressing along smoothly leading into the Games.     “It’s been smooth progress so far. We go in for the draw entries on Wednesday (July 27) with the weigh-in to follow on Friday,” said Team Manager Raphaela Kaore.  

Since the horrific acts of violence that we witnessed on Sunday afternoon, I have ensured the following has been undertaken to ensure peace and security to take back our city so we can return to normalcy within the shortest times. 1. Police have removed all supporters' tents from all the counting centres for all NCD Seats. 2. All the leading Candidates for Moresby North East have met at my invitation as the (incumbent) Governor and they have all pledged to restrain their supporters to not engage in any such acts of violence again. They have also made the call to their supporters and welcome police action to arrest the perpetrators and investigate involvement of any candidates in planning or inciting these acts of violence 3. Police have arrested 18 people suspected of being involved in the violence acts and for their part in planning such acts of violence. 4. National Government has also called out the Military to come and support the police to provide security to the counting centres and to the city as a whole. 5. Police are now deployed in strategic parts of the city to ensure no acts of violence take place including clamping down on opportunist who might take advantage to incite fear, panic and violence. Since Monday, 25th of July, the city has been influenced more by fear and anxiety caused by fake news than any real instance of violence or chaos. An image of something, was made into a greater bigger scene than what it actually was. As incumbent Governor, I am driving around the length and breath of the city and all I am witnessing for my myself about 98 percent of normalcy have returned. Today the Commissioner for Police requested that we take time to ensure police and security personal can assure us of safety and security of the city. I did visit most of our communities in the city this morning and afternoon and can confirm the relative safety of our entire city. I can understand the shock and the trauma at the aftermath of such gruesome video, and for this, I offer my heartfelt apologies and I am truly heartbroken to the children growing in the city that they may continue to have this shock in their formative years. Not only children but all of us. I pray that this incident will never occur again and as I said, I will make Law and Order a priority once the new Government is formed. I ask everyone to be more vigilant and take care but please continue life as usual. Investigate everything you read on Social Media and don’t share or peddle negative fake news to create fear. We can’t allow our city to be taken hostage and fueled with fear. Together, we are greater. I am happy that some communities took measures to protect themselves like Kirakira village, Gerehu stage 5 and some at Dikakari Street in Tokarara. City Hall and the office of our Municipal Government that manages, administer and leads the development of our city was open whole day today. Some staff and facilities like markets could not open due to inability of some staff to come to work due to the absence of majority of public transport in the city. Today all of NCDC capacity and services will be back to normal and I call on our people to resume normal schedules and activities. SOURCE: NCD GOVERNOR HON POWES PARKOP FB PAGE