Ok Tedi Mining Limited and Diwai Pharmaceutical Limited (DPhL) have signed a Memorandum of Agreement extending DPhL’s contract to manage Tabubil Hospital for a further 3 years commencing January 2019.

The Hospital provides a high standard of health services to OTML employees and dependents, contractors and community members. Approximately 85 percent of patients are non-OTML employees. Annual funding of K24M for the Hospital including cost of drugs and consumables is provided by OTML (76%) and the Fly River Provincial Government (24% paid from OTML royalties). OTML owns and maintains the facilities and medical equipment.

In announcing the contract extension OTML MD / CEO Peter Graham commended the Management and Staff of DPhL for their caring work during the last three years. Some notable achievements in 2018:

•  Provided a range of quality health services including
  o Outpatient Attendance = 78,300; Admissions = 2,467
  o Births = 1,653
  o Dental Treatment= 12,282; Eye Care attendance = 6,474
  o Medical Lab Tests = 251,703; X-rays = 29,564
• Operated a new standalone 8 bed TB ward and clinic.
• Provided 1,395 children under 5 years of age with a polio oral booster dose and over 200 employees with polio vaccinations in response to the National Public Health Emergency declaration of the polio outbreak in June 2018.
• Became the first hospital in Western Province and one of 17 health facilities in PNG
  to undergo a National Health Service Standards (NHSS) Role Delineation
  Assessment in July 2018 rating Level 5 Health Facility, the same as a Provincial
  Hospital.  

Under the agreement with DPhL, Divine Word University students completing Rural Health Worker degrees complete their block release practical course component at modern residential and teaching facilities attached to the Hospital. “We are very pleased to continue our relationship with DPhL a subsidiary of Divine Word University to provide quality health services and help prepare the next generation of rural health workers” said Mr Graham.