Jacksons airport looks cleaner and greener

Well-tended lawn at Jacksons International Airport

Green shrubbery at Jacksons International Airport

Evergreen trees give that tropical look to Jacksons International Airport

Pretty as a picture…the driveway out of Jacksons International Airport

Jacksons International Airport, often criticised in the past for being an eyesore for international visitors, has taken a turn for the better as of late.
Parks and gardens at this gateway to Papua New Guinea are now well-manicured and are something that the country can be proud of.
It is a joy to lie down on the well-mown grass, among the trees, and watch planes take off and land.
Betelnut chewing and spitting, as well as don’t-care littering, however, seem to be still prevalent in the mindset of Papua New Guineans, as seen by the red spittle and trash around both the domestic and international terminals.
Unless these are done away with, PNG will continue to suffer a negative image, given that Jacksons is the first and last impression of the country for international visitors.

Art Exhibition

The Orchid Society of PNG proudly presents Past and Living Art at the Grand Hall-National Parliament on July 25 and 26, from 9am to 5pm both days.

K1 for adults and children under 12 free. 

Bilum Wear Fashion Show

BIHINDRAH Investment Limited brings to you the Bilum Wear Fashion Show and arts and crafts show at the Ela Beach Hotel on July 18 from 6-10pm at K75 per person (includes food and drinks).

For tickets and more details, contact Sharon Sijam on 7686 5992 or Michaeline Bauso on 7630 3525.

Saturday at the movies

Spend some quality time with the kids/family and even that special someone and the Moresby Arts Theatre and have a fun arvo, watching the latest and the greatest movies on Saturday, June 27 from 1pm to 6pm. 

BBQ and drinks on sale.

Call 72116616 or 72165042 for tickets.

STATE OF ORIGIN GAME 2 @ ROCK GARDEN

 

 

Papua New Guinea rugby league pioneer passes on

By JEFF WALL in League Unlimited

 

The death occurred in Brisbane last night of Sir James Jacobi, the driving force behind the early development of rugby league in Papua New Guinea. He was President of the PNG Rugby League for more than 25 years, was also a Member of the International Rugby League Board.

He also held the distinction of being the first rugby league official in the world – and I suspect still the only – to be knighted for his service to rugby league. He was knighted by the PNG Government in 1991 and had earlier been awarded the OBE.

He became first President of the PNG Rugby League in 1964 when the then ARL and NSWRL President, Bill Buckley, asked him to take the reins of the game in pre-independence Papua New Guinea. At the time he was developing the largest medical practice in PNG – which was a very happy coincide for rugby league players for the next 30 years as they were never charged for visits to his surgery!

During his time as President, PNG became a Member of the International Rugby League Board and played regular rest matches against the Kangaroos, Kiwis, England and French nation teams. His excellent personal association with administrators in Australia such as Kevin Humphreys, Ken Arthurson, Ron McAuliffe and Tom Bellew helped give the game in PNG international status, and secured several tours of PNG by the Kangaroos.

The game prospered under his leadership and cemented its place as the national sport of Papua New Guinea. His enormous range of business, political and community contacts were regularly “tapped” to help develop the greatest game of all in the one country where its place as the national code is unchallenged.

For the best part of a quarter of a century he led “pilgrimages” of league fans from PNG to the grand final in Sydney.

Apart from his service to rugby league, Sir James Jacobi served for many years as medical officer for PNG’s national airline, Air Niugini. His generosity was legendary. I once estimated that about one in three of the patients who visited his hectic Port Moresby surgery never paid – and they included rugby league players (and officials), missionaries, and hundreds of Papua New Guineans who could not afford to pay....and even some who could.

After moving to Brisbane in the mid 1990’s, Sir James continued working as a locum in medical practices, finally returning just two years ago.

He was born in Maryborough, Queensland, in 1925 and served in the Australian Air Force in PNG in the final stages of the Second World War.

I knew Jim Jacobi well for more than 30 years. I was privileged to count him as a close friend. When I first went to work in PNG in 1977, the then QRL Chairman, Senator Ron McAuliffe, made sure I met Jim and it was a matter of months before he had me involved in administration in the game in PNG.

He was a person of unbounded generosity, and his passion for rugby league – and the time he put into it despite seeing up to 60 patients a day in his medical practice – was inspirational.

Rugby league in Papua New Guinea today would be the strong national sport it is today without his leadership and commitment in the challenging early years, and then the period when it entered the international arena.

His passing will not only cause sadness in rugby league in Papua New Guinea – he will be greatly missed by the nation’s political and community leaders, and the countless thousands of Papua New Guineans who benefited from his generosity over the best part of forty years.

First swine flu case ends quarantine with full recovery

From The National, Papua New Guinea’s leading daily newspaper

 

THE first confirmed case of influenza A (H1N1), or swine flu, in the country, which was reported last week, has successfully completed the quarantine and treatment stage.

The person was fully recovered at home after being hit with a mild level of the swine flu, national health surveillance said last Friday.

Six of the person’s family members had also been quarantined at home at the same time the person was under surveillance, it said.

More tests would be done if they showed flu-like symptoms, it said.

The national health surveillance on influenza A (H1N1) said yesterday it had not confirmed possible new cases among passengers and flight crew of the flight that the person was on.

However, the investigation was continuing with the airline authorities, it said.

It said media reports last week had given misleading figures about swine flu cases.

It said that, according to national health surveillance figures, 16 cases had been recorded: One positive (cleared), 12 negative and three were pending results from Melbourne, Australia.

This, however, did not include three reported suspected cases detected at the Pacific International Hospital (PIH) on Saturday, which the hospital revealed yesterday.

The PIH said in a press conference it had quarantined the three suspected cases.

Medical Society of Papua New Guinea president Dr Mathias Sapuri confirmed this yesterday, saying the three people had reportedly come from Australia and were quarantined in their homes.

World Health Organisation PNG office chief Dr Eigil Sorensen said last Friday the country had a stockpile of 61,000 adult courses of the Tamiflu drug, which was sufficient for now.

A Tamiflu adult course is for 75mg tablets to be taken twice daily for five days.

Dr Sorensen urged the public to remain calm but be highly vigilant, now that the normal flu season was here.

Yesterday, The National was unsuccessful in attempts to get the Department of Transport and Civil Aviation authorities to comment on how soon the country would have thermal cameras to screen overseas passengers at relevant points of entry.