15 die in Manam

Dr Sibek Bieb (seated left) talking to villagers on Manam Island on Sunday. Bieb is among a small team of health specialists from Madang dispatched to the volcanicn island.

By Malum Nalu, The National
FIFTEEN people from Manam Island in Madang have died from a mysterious disease.
However, Sir Peter Barter, who yesterday flew to the island on his helicopter, said last night the disease could be cholera although this was yet to be confirmed.
The deaths were initially confirmed by local councillor Paul Mabora from Bogia yesterday.
He said two children and 13 adults (five women and eight men) had died since June 17.
As Mabora spoke on the phone to The National from Bogia Hospital, the sound of weeping relatives could be heard in the background, as the mystery ailment claimed its latest victim. All victims were from Duguluba village on the volcanic island. Mabora said all victims, some of whom had fronted up at the Bien health centre on Manam and Bogia Hospital on the mainland, had complained of having initial symptoms of a cold sensation which started from the soles of their feet and began to work its way upwards to the upper part of the body.
By the time the cold feeling reached the abdomen and stomach of each of the victims, the feeling of hunger then became so intense and, by the time the cold reached the heart, the victim collapsed and was pronounced dead.
Of the 15 fatalities, 10 died in the village, three at Bien health centre and two at Bogia hospital.
Yesterday, a team of specialists from the Madang provincial health office and Modilon Hospital was dispatched by road to Bogia and then by sea over to Manam Island where they will be for the next two days.
Another small team was yesterday flown by Sir Peter on helicopter to the island to determine what the disease might be and how to prevent more deaths.
All the villagers living in Dugulaba were panic-stricken and were making their way to live with relatives in care centres on the mainland.
Dugulaba villagers had been living at Daigul care centre on the mainland until March this year when they were forced out by local landowners.
“We do not know what kind of disease it is. If it is cholera, you have diarrhoea but, with this disease, you have no diarrhoea.
“Your legs go numb and it spreads up to the heart and you die. The victims felt cold in their legs and the feeling spread throughout the body. They then say they feel hungry and then drop dead.”
Life for islanders on Manam is very hard with no water supply, and people drink water from wells which are contaminated with volcanic dust.

PAU wins debate title

By Kevin Pamba, The National

THE inaugural national youth debate on HIV yesterday involving students from the six national universities turned out to be an excellent exhibition of intellect there is at the campuses.
Pacific Adventist University defeated Divine Word University in the final to take out the inaugural prime minister’s Lahara scholarship price.
The scholarship will allow the wining team to spend their end of year working vacation with the National AIDS Council secretariat.
The debate, hosted by DWU, was dubbed as the first-ever intellectual discourse of its kind among students from the University of PNG, PNG University of Technology, University of Goroka, University of National Resources and Environment, Pacific Adventist University and DWU.
The exceptional delivery of some of the speakers in a packed auditorium of students from the host campus and other educational institutions in Madang and invited dignitaries had observers feeling assured in the intellectuals that were being moulded at the PNG universities.
For the older ones in the audience, the debate brought back memories of those great intellectual exchanges among the bright minds at the UPNG and Unitech campuses during the formative years of the nation in the 1970s and 1980s.
Dignitaries who attended felt satisfied and commended the initiative of the National AIDS Council (NAC) chairman Sir Peter Barter and called for more intellectual discussions among students and youth to advise future policies.
The dignitaries included Governor-General Sir Paulias Matane and his wife Lady Kaludia, Minister for Community Development Dame Carol Kidu, Madang Governor Sir Arnold Amet, National Youth Commissioner Johnson Hebe, acting secretary for Health Paison Dakulala and David MacLauchlan, the UN country representative.
Sir Peter said the debate was a deliberate effort to include the future leaders to take ownership of issues affecting their country and be involved in decision-making and policy formulation.
Sir Peter declared that yesterday’s debate was the first of many that would follow every year and thanked all the sponsors for supporting it.
Director of the National AIDS Council secretariat Wep Kanawi said the five-year national HIV /AIDS strategy was on hold to include suggestions that come out of the debate.

Universities to attend national HIV debate

By BOSORINA ROBBY The National

STUDENTS from the country’s six universities will be engaged in the national HIV youth debate (NHYD) in Madang starting tomorrow.
Two teams each from Vudal University, University of Goroka, Pacific Adventist University (PAU), University of Papua New Guinea, University of Technology and host Divine Word University will compete in this debate.
The debate on HIV/AIDS is seen as an important cross cutting issue into all the sectors of the country and affects everyone, said PNG Eco Forestry Forum (PNG EFF) executive director Thomas Paka.
Paka said it was because of this that the organisation has come to assist the National AIDS Council Secretariat (NACS) and to show their appreciation for this undertaking.
PNG EFF chairman Kenn Mondiai, upon presenting the K2,000 cheque for the debate, congratulated Sir Peter Barter for this initiative as it gives opportunities to the youths to learn more about the virus.
He said this was also a show support from the NGO members of PNG EFF who are willing to assist facilitate NACS activities in rural areas where they were based.
Mondiai said this would also help those groups who deal with HIV awareness in their conservation programmes.
NACS provincial programmes manager Philip Tapo said the idea was for the youths to be involved in the HIV response as they know their own problems and are the better solution providers.
Tapo said since most HIV patients were youths, this event will get them to talk, research, debate and learn more about the virus and how they can stop this pandemic.
He said this positive event would be widely published and telecvised and should call attention to everybody to contribute to reducing the spread of HIV, which is now in rural areas.
The day event is expected to announce a winner by the evening to allow the teams to attend a field trip the next day. All teams will leave by Friday.
The winning team will become the Prime Minister’s HIV ambassadors for a period of 12 months, mentor the 2011 NHYD teams and be invited to participate in various HIV forums.
They will also be offered a four-week paid work experience Lahara Cadetship with the office of the director of NACS and work on projects of importance in Port Moresby or in the provinces.

Madang's Blazing Aftermath

Fire guts Madang landmark

By Kevin Pamba, The National

MADANG town’s landmark office and shopping complex, the Kagasten Building, was burnt to the ground last night. The fire, which started at the ground floor at about 6pm, gutted the entire building by 7pm.
Firemen and 20 student seamen from the PNG Maritime College could not save the building but managed to stop the fire from spreading to other shops, including the double-storey Papindo shopping complex.
A policeman at the scene said he suspected an electrical fault at a shop on the ground floor could have triggered the fire, which quickly spread to the other rooms.
It brought the entire two-storey building down within an hour.
The building housed two shops on the ground floor while the first floor had the Day and Night Surgery private clinic, office of the anti-HIV/AIDS group, People Living With Higher Aims Inc, among other occupants.
Police could not ascertain if there were people inside the building when it caught fire.

MADANG EMBARKS ON PNG SCHOOL BOYS RUGBY LEAGUE PROGRAM.

The Madang rugby league fraternity, primary schools and community experienced a hive of activities last week with the visit by Steve Malum, the Northern Zone development officer. His visit was in conjunction with the PNGRFL Junior and School Boys development program around the country and kicked started the Madang School Boys Rugby League Competition by conducting a series of meetings, coaching and training clinics with the Primary Schools whom have made known their interest. The attention caught the sports masters, parents, the local rugby league fraternity, supporters of the code and the MRL executive who have worked tirelessly in conjunction with the schools and the Northern Zone development officer Steve Malum, how significant it is get junior development programs off in Madang where the Madang public witnessed the first school boys trial matches on the weekend at the Ron Albert’s Park.
Credit goes to the three Primary Schools, Jomba, Lutheran Day and Kusbau for taking the initiative to participate in the Madang School Boys Competition. Madang School Boys Coordinator Joe Laia has appealed to the other Primary Schools to join in the development program, and is planning a series of meetings to elect an executive to move forward and manage the program in Madang, with support from the MRL executive.
Apart from that, Steve Malum finished of his visit in Madang by joining his counterparts and guests, the MRL President Philip Welia and executive, the Madang Provincial Administrator, Ben Lange and Madang Provincial Planner, Simon Simoi and Kainantu Bees sponsor, John Nato witnessing a trial match between Globe Madang Malabos and the Gateway Kainantu Bees. Both sides displayed some fine football regardless of errors, mainly due to the intensity of the game and pressure from the popular Madang vocal supporters. The Madang side defeated a courageous Kainantu outfit 16 points to 12 to come out victors. These trial matches are designed to prepare and improve the Northern Zone league centers representative sides prior to the Northern Zone Super 6 Conference Cup later to be held in July. The trial match ended with a feast later in the evening attended by team’s players and officials, sponsors, guests, MRFL and KRFL executives.

Globe Manufacturing sponsors Madang league

Source: The National

GLOBE Manufacturing Ltd (formerly James Barnes Ltd) this week became the major sponsor of Madang Rugby Football League (MRFL).
The sponsorship allows the company to have the naming rights over the competition and the eight clubs will play for the “Globe Cup” this year.
The makers of the famous, Globe corned beef and cooking oil products are making a return after they first supported the MRFL in the mid-1990s with the sponsorship of the Madang Globetrotters (later Marlins) team in the then SP Inter City Cup semi-professional competition.
Globe general manager Sampath Padmawansa unveiled the sponsorship at the company head office in Madang on Monday.
The new MRFL president Sr Insp Philip Welia and his executives welcomed the sponsorship as this was the first time in over 15 years that the league received such a support from a major business house.
Pictured are the general manager of Globe Manufacturing Ltd, Sampath Padmawansa (standing second left) sealing the deal with a handshake with Madang RFL president, Welia on Monday as company staff, league officials and invited guests.

Muruks train in Madang

Source: The National

STRUCTURAL Bridging Systems Ltd Mendi Muruks, who were on bye last weekend, did not rest on the laurels after their two successive opening round wins.
They took a bus ride north to ‘beautiful Madang’ away from the distractions of Lae city, where they are based, and had bonding and training sessions in the quiet surrounds of the tourist town.
While in Madang, the boys from Mendi, Southern Highlands, trained on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning.
The Muruks then split the team up into two and played a nine-a-side game with the inclusion of local players from the Souths Warriors Club in the searing midday heat on Sunday as part of their conditioning at the Divine Word University Rugby Park.
After the game, the Muruks had a swimming session at the famous Machine Gun Beach and then watched the Madang rugby league’s selection trial match between Madang Blues and Madang Greens at the Ron Albert Oval.
Yesterday, the Muruks did their usual morning walk, enjoying the tranquil rural scenery of Madang near their accommodation at Jais Aben Resort Hotel, along the North Coast, before hitting the road again for Lae just before noon.
Senior player and team manager, Roderick Puname, said their bonding and training session away from Lae city during their bye, was necessary to  focus on the job ahead.
And the former three-time champs of the SP Cup (now bemobile Cup) competition have a reason for this.
“We have let down our fans, the 650,000 Southern Highlanders and others around the country by making certain decisions that have come to haunt us in the last season,” Puname said.
 “We have realised our mistake and have gone back to the drawing board and given the team back to a bunch of promising young players from our province and other leagues, to prove themselves with the help of a few old hands,” Puname said.
He said since the change in approach, Muruks supporter numbers had increased in the first two games, particularly the second match against Lahanis a fortnight ago.
“We are expecting a bumper crowd for the game against the SNS Port Moresby Vipers in Lae this Sunday,” the Kumul back, who played two tests against Fiji in the Hardware Haus Series in Mt Hagen and Port Moresby last year, said.

Globe showing support for MRL

The Madang Rugby League received 1000 cans of Globe Mackeral Tin fish in Tomato source in showing their support. The cans of fish were given to spectators upon paying gate fees and entering the league grounds. It is a way of encouraging women and children to come enjoy the greatest game of all.

Madang Gears for BMobile

Madang Rugby League will be gearing up for BMobile next year with their clash of Blues and Reds during last weekend's main game at the Ron Albert Oval in Madang. Madang RL over the past weeks have been proud recipients of Globe's Full support and sponsorship for this year and next year.

The game was an evenly contested game with both Teams battling it out for a placing in the selection. Blues won 24-20. Selection of the players will be announced soon. Madang is gearing for next years B'Mobile and is starting its preparations early.