The Community Affairs Office Vehicle for Ramu NiCo Management (MCC) Limited (RNML) at the Basamuk Refinery (BSK) in Raicoast District in Madang Province is termed as a lifesaver for communities living in and around the refinery who needed immediate medical assistance to and from the Refinery Clinic due to the local Aid Post not functioning to its full capacity.
In July this year the refinery vehicle assisted and saved 3 people who were badly injured when accidentally in contact with a sharp object in their village. One was a 6 year old child from Dain village and two were adults, one male and a female. The female was later medevac to Madang Provincial Hospital due to the seriousness of the condition from the wound.
On the 18 of July another male from the village past Ganglau was also rushed to the Refinery Clinic that suffered from pneumonia with difficulty breathing.
The sick individual contacted RNML (BSK) Community Affairs (CA) Department that timely medevac him in time for medical treatment at the refinery clinic.
Ramu NiCo CA officer on site at Basamuk Refinery Philip Royal said the local community at Basamuk all have their contact and always contact the Community Affairs office for medical assistance.
“The community here at the refinery always give the relief sign on their face when they call for assistance and when our work vehicle drives into their community to assist them,” Royal said.
He said our assistance to them is seen as a way for them to have confidence and stability to them when needs arose.
We do this to promote our slogan of “One Ramu NiCo, One Community”, not only in medical assistance but also to assist and keep that bond and trust between the project developer and the project landowner in and around the refinery.
Royal said their office will continue to help and assist communities in and around the refinery with assistance to medevac patients if Ganglau and the refinery clinic see the condition is beyond their assistance.
Ramu NiCo has always stepped in to assist the National Government owned Ganglau Aid Post under its quarterly medical drug assistance for many years with vital medical drug supply being sent to Ganglau Aid Post and other aid posts along the project corridor every year depending on the statistics of medical illness recorded by the nursing officer in charge at Ganglau.
RNML BSK CA Vehicle parked in the side of the Refinery Ambulance at the Refiner Clinic