Solar Power for Health Centers & Aid Posts in PNG
Donation protected
Your help is needed to raise funds so that solar power resources can be provided to remote health centers, commonly called aid posts, in the rural and isolated areas of Papua New Guinea (PNG). Community Solar is a newly formed Non Government Organization (NGO), created by Allan Mosa, a Papua New Guinean, to help his fellow citizens to improve their community health care needs. Your support is needed to help improve the lives of your brothers and sisters in PNG.
Challenges faced by remote health centers and aid posts
In remote health posts, the community healthcare workers only source of light is their mobile phone (when it has a charge) or a flashlight (torch) when there are charged batteries available or lamp (hurricane lantern) when there is kerosene. The need for reliable light is huge. Imagine the difficulty faced by the healthcare worker and patient when an emergency comes up in the night. Think about a mother in labor, when there is not sufficient light for those assisting her to adequately see so they can provide care.
An aid post, is generally the first place Papua New Guineans needing medical attention have available to seek help from. PNG is a mountainous country with beautiful, but rugged terrain. Most people live in remote isolated villages far from towns. The aid post is often the only resource available to help them with their medical needs. An aid post usually serves 1,000 to 5,000 people. The daily workload on healthcare workers in remote parts of the country consists of battling communicable diseases, delivering babies and responding to the general health needs within the community.
People going to the aid post or for an emergency, or going to the health center very sick or in labor, find they are being treated under whatever source of light is available; often a small kerosene lantern, or maybe a flashlight (torch). If they are lucky, the aid post may have a pressure lantern (lamp) (operated by a pump), which gives a slightly better light. Even these lanterns, torches or pressure lamps are not always guaranteed to be available; batteries go flat (loose their charge), wicks and mantles wear out, kerosene runs out, and often the center is far from a store that stocks these supplies.
Imagine delivering a baby, stitching up a wound, or putting a drip (I.V.) in by the light of a mobile phone or a torch or small lantern. Inadequate light is something nurses and health care workers have to contend with in aid posts and rural health centers across Papua New Guinea, as they try to give their patients the best medical attention possible.
Some of the larger rural health centers used to have light from portable generators when missionaries were stationed there and used funding from overseas supporters to buy fuel. Now these health centers and aid posts are run by independent PNG Churches, fuel is much too expensive, and there is no one trained to keep the old generators in good repair. Generators are not a cost effective solution for PNG.
Many remote aid posts and health centers in PNG have no electricity or running water. They persevere through lack of resources and supplies, extreme remoteness, and high maternal and child mortality rates. Due to their remoteness they often do not have the resources or opportunities to advocate for additional support from authorities. They graciously accept the meager resources given and continue to do their best to serve their communities. Despite the challenges, there is a determination in the community to keep moving forward and not give up.
Having a solar energy system set up in the health centers, giving light to at least the labor ward (room), the treatment room, and the ward for the very sick, goes a long way towards giving patients the care they need.
Solar energy systems cost little to run and need little maintenance. In a few health centers, solar power has already been successfully used for quite a few years (it is a proven technology). However, many health facilities still have no power at all.
Your help is needed to provide funding so a step can be made forward to bring solar to aid posts. a number of priority areas are suggested for the implementation of a Solar Energy System program:
1) Basic lighting.
2) Vaccine refrigeration.
3) Water pumps (solar powered to provide running water).
4) Solar power for computers, copiers, printers and perhaps TV (to be used for health education classes for the community).
5) Solar power would also provide electricity for radio communication.
6) Lighting for healthcare worker and nurses homes. These dedicated front line healthcare hero's are well educated in the major provincial centers where they are used to having electricity available. Retaining the best staff in remote isolated areas is an important challenge to overcome. They in turn can continue to give their best in providing medical care to those in need.
Let's not call this a project, because a project has a beginning and an end. Let's refer to this as a process. With your help we can begin the process of helping our brothers and sisters in PNG.
The first step is to connect with you. Help us get the word out about this need. Please share this need with your family, friends and Church group. Our goal is to connect with 120 people and ask each of them to donate $10.00 (USA dollars) or K 35.00 (PNG Kina) each. Perhaps you can bring your lunch or coffee with you one time to work tomorrow or the next day and donate the money you would have spent stopping for coffee or going out to lunch?
How will this process start? A great question. Allan, the founder of this process, proposes to start by providing solar lanterns and solar mobile phone chargers. This will immediately create a positive effect. As additional funding becomes available larger solar projects will be outlined and initiated to continue the process. Right now, we need you to get involved and help get the solar process started. Please consider donating today so the process can begin.
All funds received will be used to purchase and distribute solar lanterns and solar mobile phone chargers to health centers and aid posts. Updates and photos will be shared as progress is made.
If you have any questions please contact Allan Mosa.
If you know of any grant funding that can be applied for we would appreciate hearing from you. Additional funding will be needed to continue the process.
Thank you for getting involved.
Challenges faced by remote health centers and aid posts
In remote health posts, the community healthcare workers only source of light is their mobile phone (when it has a charge) or a flashlight (torch) when there are charged batteries available or lamp (hurricane lantern) when there is kerosene. The need for reliable light is huge. Imagine the difficulty faced by the healthcare worker and patient when an emergency comes up in the night. Think about a mother in labor, when there is not sufficient light for those assisting her to adequately see so they can provide care.
An aid post, is generally the first place Papua New Guineans needing medical attention have available to seek help from. PNG is a mountainous country with beautiful, but rugged terrain. Most people live in remote isolated villages far from towns. The aid post is often the only resource available to help them with their medical needs. An aid post usually serves 1,000 to 5,000 people. The daily workload on healthcare workers in remote parts of the country consists of battling communicable diseases, delivering babies and responding to the general health needs within the community.
People going to the aid post or for an emergency, or going to the health center very sick or in labor, find they are being treated under whatever source of light is available; often a small kerosene lantern, or maybe a flashlight (torch). If they are lucky, the aid post may have a pressure lantern (lamp) (operated by a pump), which gives a slightly better light. Even these lanterns, torches or pressure lamps are not always guaranteed to be available; batteries go flat (loose their charge), wicks and mantles wear out, kerosene runs out, and often the center is far from a store that stocks these supplies.
Imagine delivering a baby, stitching up a wound, or putting a drip (I.V.) in by the light of a mobile phone or a torch or small lantern. Inadequate light is something nurses and health care workers have to contend with in aid posts and rural health centers across Papua New Guinea, as they try to give their patients the best medical attention possible.
Some of the larger rural health centers used to have light from portable generators when missionaries were stationed there and used funding from overseas supporters to buy fuel. Now these health centers and aid posts are run by independent PNG Churches, fuel is much too expensive, and there is no one trained to keep the old generators in good repair. Generators are not a cost effective solution for PNG.
Many remote aid posts and health centers in PNG have no electricity or running water. They persevere through lack of resources and supplies, extreme remoteness, and high maternal and child mortality rates. Due to their remoteness they often do not have the resources or opportunities to advocate for additional support from authorities. They graciously accept the meager resources given and continue to do their best to serve their communities. Despite the challenges, there is a determination in the community to keep moving forward and not give up.
Having a solar energy system set up in the health centers, giving light to at least the labor ward (room), the treatment room, and the ward for the very sick, goes a long way towards giving patients the care they need.
Solar energy systems cost little to run and need little maintenance. In a few health centers, solar power has already been successfully used for quite a few years (it is a proven technology). However, many health facilities still have no power at all.
Your help is needed to provide funding so a step can be made forward to bring solar to aid posts. a number of priority areas are suggested for the implementation of a Solar Energy System program:
1) Basic lighting.
2) Vaccine refrigeration.
3) Water pumps (solar powered to provide running water).
4) Solar power for computers, copiers, printers and perhaps TV (to be used for health education classes for the community).
5) Solar power would also provide electricity for radio communication.
6) Lighting for healthcare worker and nurses homes. These dedicated front line healthcare hero's are well educated in the major provincial centers where they are used to having electricity available. Retaining the best staff in remote isolated areas is an important challenge to overcome. They in turn can continue to give their best in providing medical care to those in need.
Let's not call this a project, because a project has a beginning and an end. Let's refer to this as a process. With your help we can begin the process of helping our brothers and sisters in PNG.
The first step is to connect with you. Help us get the word out about this need. Please share this need with your family, friends and Church group. Our goal is to connect with 120 people and ask each of them to donate $10.00 (USA dollars) or K 35.00 (PNG Kina) each. Perhaps you can bring your lunch or coffee with you one time to work tomorrow or the next day and donate the money you would have spent stopping for coffee or going out to lunch?
How will this process start? A great question. Allan, the founder of this process, proposes to start by providing solar lanterns and solar mobile phone chargers. This will immediately create a positive effect. As additional funding becomes available larger solar projects will be outlined and initiated to continue the process. Right now, we need you to get involved and help get the solar process started. Please consider donating today so the process can begin.
All funds received will be used to purchase and distribute solar lanterns and solar mobile phone chargers to health centers and aid posts. Updates and photos will be shared as progress is made.
If you have any questions please contact Allan Mosa.
If you know of any grant funding that can be applied for we would appreciate hearing from you. Additional funding will be needed to continue the process.
Thank you for getting involved.
Organizer
Mark Patton
Organizer
Sanger, CA
