Aussies close border but send aid to Daru

THE Daru Island cholera outbreak is preventing travel from Papua New Guinea to the Torres Strait under provisions of the Torres Strait Treaty, Radio Australia reported yesterday, The National reports.

It said Australia’s department of foreign affairs had restricted travel under the treaty until further notice because of the outbreak on the island.

Yesterday, PNG health officials confirmed the death toll at 16 and had a chartered plane travelling from Port Moresby, with officers from the Health Department, World Health Organisation and AusAID, to distribute emergency medical aid and assess the situation.

More than 300 people were confirmed to have been affected by the disease and 70 admitted to the hospital for treatment.

Last night, there was unconfirmed report that the death toll might have reached 22.

The Australian newspaper reported yesterday that Australia was rushing medical supplies and aid to Daru.

It said that medicine and intravenous fluid, to treat dehydration associated with the deadly disease, was being stockpiled on the Queensland side of the strait.

Daru is about 4km off the PNG mainland and only 50km from the nearest Australian island of Saibai.

The newspaper quoted medical staff at the 60-bed Daru General Hospital describing horrific scenes, and pleaded for Australian help.

It quoted local Catholic priest Vinod D’Mello saying that sick people lay in the hospital’s corridors because all the beds were taken.

“There are two or three more deaths every day,” he said.

“I can hear the crying from the hospital when I am in the church.

“(The staff) are trying their best, but it is a tragic situation.”

Nurse Dawe Tuti said the hospital’s two doctors and other medical staff were running off their feet.

“We do not have enough manpower,” she told The Australian.

“The Australian government stands ready to provide additional assistance to the PNG government to respond to the outbreak as needed,” an AusAID spokeswoman said. “At this stage, no formal request for assistance has been made.”

Queensland health communicable diseases branch senior director Christine Selvey said: “Even though the cholera outbreak has now spread to Daru, it is exceedingly unlikely that cholera could spread locally within north Queensland.

“Hygiene and food preparation practices in the Torres Strait are good; there is ready access to safe-drinking water and there is safe disposal of human wastes.”

MRDC acquires Hevi Lift for LNG project ops

MINERAL Resources Development Co (MRDC) has acquired Hevi Lift (PNG) Pty Ltd and contracted to ExxonMobil for LNG-related aviation services, The National reports.

MRDC managing director Augustine Mano revealed this last week during the launching of MRDC’s website (http:www.mrdc.com.pg).

However, Mano did not disclose the cost of acquiring the aviation company, which took place last December.

Mano said the acquisition of Hevi Lift’s 50% shareholding was through a consortium of Mineral Resources Star Mountain, Petroleum Resources Kutbu, Petroleum Resources Gobe and Petroleum Resources Moran.

He also disclosed raising K250 million to buy MRDC’s stake on behalf of the landowners companies in the PNG LNG project.

Mano said the company had opened up  several  offices offshore, making MRDC the first multinational company collectively owned by resource-owners to have established offices abroad.

“We will be the first multinational company to have established offices in Indonesia, Shangai in China and Myanmar, with Thailand to follow suit.

“From an initial K600 million in 2008 since the transfer of the State equity interest for Eda Oil to Petromin and withdrawal of Mineral Resource Lihir, MRDC has now K1.2 billion in assets and investment portfolio,” Mano said.

Acknowledging the MRDC challenges ahead, he said his management and board were determined and positive to deliver benefits that were required and expected from.

 

 

Baki ousted

Tony Wagambie in as acting commissioner

 

POLICE in the nation’s capital was placed on full alert last night after the National Executive Council suspended Police Commissioner Gari Baki, The National reports.

The government moved quickly to replace him, naming veteran cop Tony Wagambie acting police commissioner and Fred Yakasa as deputy.

The NEC, in making the move, also ordered investigations into his conduct as police chief in the past four years.

Baki is under suspension with full pay until the investigations are completed.

Baki’s job was on the line after Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare removed Police Minister Sani Rambi and replaced him with Mark Maipakai.

In documents leaked to the media, the prime minister had accused Baki and Rambi of misleading senior members of cabinet into getting K10 million approved for LNG operations.

After transferring Rambi from police to the labour portfolio, the prime minister wrote to Public Service Minister Peter O’Neill to prepare papers to replace Baki.

The letter to O’Neill stated reasons that the commissioner had allowed the police force to run down and there was a general breakdown in law and order.

Baki had responded last Friday, categorically denying the allegations that he had misled the prime minister and senior cabinet ministers.

He said in his briefing to cabinet that the withdrawal of police personnel did not affect the whole of the LNG project areas, but only in Kopi, Kikori and Gobe.

The main reason was on logistics difficulties that police were experiencing for the whole LNG project, and it was necessary to secure additional funding from the government in addition to what Esso Highlands was providing for operational work, which was outside the agreed arrangements covered in a memorandum of understanding.

Baki’s brief also explained that by solely relying on the funding provided by the LNG developer would create a notion, or allow people to form opinions, that the deployment of the police mobile squads to the LNG project sites was merely a private security arrangement for the project.

He stated it also questioned the constitutional independence of the police force.

Factions within the police force received news of the suspension of Baki with mixed reactions.

One group mobilised last night on Burns Peak, ready to move into a deserted police headquarters at Konedobu.

Security was also stepped up for senior cabinet ministers and the prime minister amid the reported build-up of tension last night.

 

 

Pala: Motion to vote out PM not on paper

THE vote of no-confidence in Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare, promised by the opposition, may not take placeon Tuesday, The National reports.

Justice Minister and Attorney-General Ano Pala said the 2011 budget and the 2010 supplementary budget would take precedence over all other parliamentary business next Tuesday.

Finance and Treasury had issued a “budget lock-up” statement for the media from 10am to 2pm when parliament resumes.

Finance, Treasury and Public Service Minister Peter O’Neill, when contacted last night, said the budget had been approved by cabinet and he looked forward to introducing it next Tuesday.

O’Neill declined to give details on next year’s budget, claiming that key areas such as the medium-term development plan, district service improvement programme (DSIP) and other government priorities would be addressed.

Pala said as far as he was concerned, there was no notice of a vote of no-confidence before the house.

“At the moment, there is no notice of vote of no-confidence before parliament.”

The attorney-general and justice minister said the meeting of parliament on Tuesday was specifically called to introduce next year’s budget.

“We are not privy to any information that comes up, and we are not aware of any notice of the vote becoming a property of parliament,” he said.

Pala said the budget would be handed down next Tuesday, and that would be the main agenda for the government.

“Parliament will resume on Tuesday for the handing down of the 2011 budget, and we have to wait for what comes out in the notice paper.”

He said the 11 Southern region MPs had declared their loyalty to the prime minister in passing bills in parliament.

Pala said: “We will be voting together with the government.

“We are now a family of 11 MPs who are members of NA.”

A senior parliament source stated last night that there was no notice of a motion before parliament at this stage and the session next Tuesday was restricted to the budget.

“It all depends on the government to suspend standing orders to introduce the budget.

“In all democracies, it is all about the numbers game.”

The source said private business committees always seat in on Wednesdays to consider notices and petitions to be brought before the house in any session.

“The vote of no-confidence notice has not come to the attention of parliament and the committee.”

 

 

Daru cholera claims 16, 70 admitted

By JEFFREY ELAPA

 

THE death toll from cholera on Daru Island in Western and nearby mainland villages has climbed to 16, The National reports.

Daru General Hospital chief executive officer Dr Amos Lano gave the updated figure yesterday, saying four deaths were reported at the Fly River village of Kenediba and one more in Daru.

He said, however, that the Kenediba deaths could not be confirmed as cholera-linked although patients reported acute watery diarrhoea, abdominal pain and vomiting.

Lano said the situation in Daru appeared to be under control and, so far, only one person was admitted on Tuesday night.

He said since the first case of acute watery diarrhoea was reported in Daru on Oct 15, more than 250 people had been treated at the hospital, 70 were admitted while 16 – mostly children and the elderly – were now confirmed dead.

Lano said most deaths were from the waterfront areas, an indication that the sickness was suspected to have spread to other areas on the mainland.

Meanwhile, health authorities in the Australian state of Queensland were monitoring a cholera outbreak, Radio Australia reported yesterday.

Queensland health said it had alerted staff at clinics on islands in the Torres Strait to be on the lookout for anyone with the symptoms.

Radio Australia quoted Dr Steven Donohue as saying that there was no real risk of it spreading further.

“It is not to say there will not ever be a case but, even if there was, provided that they got to medical care in time, then, there really will not be much of a concern,” he said.

“The conditions are completely different in the Torres Strait islands of Australia.

“The conditions for the spread of the disease are just not there.

“Very little of the disease is spread person to person and most of it is through dirty food and water and the environment.”

Donohue said the islands had excellent clean water supplies, food and sanitation as well as health services that could deal with any cases if they arose.

 

 

Health officials condemn Baisu

By JAMES APA GUMUNO

 

HEALTH officials from Western Highlands inspected the Baisu jail yesterday and declared it unsafe for human habitation, The National reports.

They recommended the immediate closure of this jail.

They confirmed that dysentery was the cause of the death of three prisoners last week. Many other prisoners had become ill through using contaminated water.

Prisoners demanded a transfer to other prisons in the region in fear of getting infected. Failure by the prison officials to move them had led to the breakout last Friday, in which prison guards allegedly shot dead six escaping prisoners.

Director medical service of Mt Hagen General Hospital Dr Michael Dokup said yesterday that the jail was unfit to keep prisoners and recommended that all remaining prisoners be transferred to other jails.

Dokup said, during their visit, they discovered that there was no water in the jail for cooking and drinking.

He said the prisoners used contaminated water from the drain for their daily needs.

He said sanitation and hygiene of the jail was very poor and not fit for human beings to live.

To illustrate his point, Dokup said even a pig locked up in the jail would die because of the appalling conditions.

He said the sewage system of the jail was blocked and sewage was overflowing into gardens and drains.

He said it was clear the supply of fresh clean water was the jail’s biggest problem.

Dokup slammed comments by Correctional Services Minister Tony Aimo and Commissioner Richard Sikani that the shooting was justified.

He said the two should visit Baisu and see for themselves the conditions there.

Dokup said he was puzzled at claims in the media by Aimo and Sikani that health workers visited the jail and fumigated facilities in there and collected samples for clinical tests.

He said nothing like that had happened.

Aimo: Prison shooting okay

CORRECTIONAL Services Minister Tony Aimo and Commissioner Richard Sikani yesterday defended the shooting of prisoners at the Baisu jail outside Mt Hagen last week, The National reports.

The shooting of the prisoners, apparently by warders, led to the death of seven prisoners.

It appeared that the prisoners were shot at without any warning shots being fired first, prompting calls for an inquiry into the killings.

A relative of an inmate who died claimed his brother, a remandee, was shot in the head.

But Aimo and Sikani yesterday said the warders acted within their rights and there was no need for an investigation.

Sikani stressed that it was now a coroner’s case that would require a coronial inquest into the incident.

He said there would be no internal investigation.

Aimo backed his commissioner, saying the CS officers did their mandated responsibilities in the course of duty.

The minister said the actions of the CS officers also prevented the mass escape of all 400 prisoners held at Baisu jail.

He also slammed critics who have been opposing his plan to bring in non-lethal weapons from a manufacturer in Australia for the Correctional Services.

This would cost the CS K9 million, money many critics said should have been used to improve conditions at Baisu and other jails in the country.

“If I had non-lethal weapons, these escapees will not have been killed,” Aimo said in defence of the use of firearms by warders.

On the mystery illness that killed three prisoners, and caused the prisoners to break out last Friday, Aimo said the CS should not be the only government agency to be blamed as there were others that had failed in their duties which contributed to the worsening water situation at Baisu.

Aimo said the water problem at Baisu contributed to dysentery and diarrhoea which led to the earlier deaths of three detainees on Oct 30, last Tuesday and last Wednesday at the Mt Hagen General Hospital.

He said the Correctional Services was doing everything to address the issues including transferring 50 inmates to Barawagi in Chimbu and 20 to BuiIebu in the Southern Highlands. It had also brought in a contractor to look at the water problems.

He said health officers also visited the jail and fumigated detainee facilities twice for a number of days and collected samples for clinical tests while PNG Waterboard and CS contractors were working on the water lines to restore water.

An internal memo from the deputy commissioner operations, Henry Wavik, said last Friday at 4pm, detainees in the maximum security compound collaborated and, in fear of contracting the diseases after seeing 21 detainees hospitalised and three dead, scaled the fence.

The memo said 57 escaped with CS officers in pursuit recapturing 31, five were shot dead instantly while 12 were seriously wounded.

Twenty-six are still at large.

Reports said those killed included one each from Tari, Laiagam and Wabag with two from Mt Hagen.