By
MALUM NALU
Veteran Black Cat Trail porter Lionel Aigilo died on
Sunday night after five days of excruciating agony at Angau Memorial Hospital
in Lae without proper medical care and treatment.
He is the third to die after a gang killed two local
porters, injured several others and attacked eight expatriate trekkers along
the Black Cat Trail last Tuesday.
Lionel Aigilo along the Francisco Rover during a fact-finding trek of the Black Cat Trail in July 2003. |
Aigilo, from Logui village in Salamaua, had both
legs badly slashed and was awaiting amputation when he died.
He had been an active guide and porter along the
Black Cat Trail since 2003 when trekking companies started operating there.
Both overseas and Papua New Guinea media reported
last week of the shortage of medical staff and operating theatres at Angau to
cater for the eight Black Cat Trail porters, and on the eve of independence,
Aigilo sadly passed away.
EMTV last week showed footage of the badly injured
porters lying on the floor because of no beds and awaiting operations that
never eventuated.
Black Cat Trail Association chairman, Ninga Yawa, said yesterday that it
took the death of Aigilo to spur operator, PNG Trekking Adventures, into action
as the seven remaining survivors were moved to Lae International Hospital.
He said it was a sad indictment of both government
and tour operators at the time of independence.
“Lionel and the other porters were in hospital for
almost a week, however, the treatment given to them was not good,” Yawa said.
“I wanted PNG Trekking to put them in a good
hospital, as they worked hard to make money for the company, but it was only
this (yesterday) morning, after the death of Lionel, that they were moved to
Lae International Hospital.
“The government has to look into this matter very
seriously.
“We need some assistance from the government,
especially when it comes to relatives, haus krais.
“The Prime Minister said he would take care of
everything, however, if the porters are not treated, they will die one by one.
‘The PNG Tourism Promotion Authority also has to
come in, as these porters worked very hard to bring into tourism money into the
country.”
Yawa said the events of last week had been very
stressful on everyone involved.
“These have taken their toll on all of us,’ he said.
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