Bank sponsors Australian Doctors Patrol in New Ireland

Rural communities in New Ireland will now have regular access to primary health services, thanks to Bank South Pacific's (BSP) K50,000 sponsorship to the NIPG/Australian Doctors International (ADI) Integrated rural patrols.The funding will boost health patrols and reach more rural areas in 2016. This means, more children receiving immunisation, mothers getting antenatal attention, dental services and health education and awareness.

BSP came on board as a sponsor in 2015 to support their work in the community. Through this support, ADI was able to continue to work in establishing and coordinating integrated Health Patrols, visiting 26 Health Centres across Sentral East Coast, Tikana, Lavongai, Nimimar, Namatanai, Konoagil, Murat and Sentral West regions.

ADI has provided over 2000 hours of case-based and clinical training for health workers in rural areas, spent more than 550 days on Patrol and visited more than 220 health centres from 2011 to 2015.

ADI's Health Project Manager, Rachael Smith said that they were thankful to Bank South Pacific for sponsorship, as it shows the bank's support for our work in province. We are also grateful and know that it will go a long way to assist us to deliver much needed health care to the rural population of New Ireland Province."

At the cheque presentation ceremony, BSP Kavieng Branch Manager, Madeleine Leka said, " BSP was pleased to support ADI and the individuals who go out on patrol. We respect and value our people and happy that we are able to support the communities, through worthy causes like this."

"We know that more people will receive medical attention, more babies immunised and more mothers will receive antenatal care. Our staff have also been able to provide Financial Literacy Training and Banking Education. This has been well received by the communities that we visited."

BSP is a proud supporter of Health Care, Community development and Education. The Bank also a proud principal supporter of Burnet Institute's, Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies program; designed to help reduce the numbers of women and their babies who die as a consequence of childbirth.

ADI is a non-government organisation that has been in New Ireland working successfully with people of New Ireland since 2011. The organisation sends volunteer doctors to conduct health patrols with provincial health teams to the remote parts of the province