17 Feb 2004

Southern Highlands hospital close to re-opening after a year

4:41 pm on 17 February 2004

The Mendi General Hospital in Papua New Guinea is expected to reopen this week after being closed for a year following a tribal fight.

The hospital was shut down after hospital staff were assaulted and hospital property stolen in the aftermath of a battle between two clans using high powered rifles.

120 people are reported to have died during the fighting.

The Post Courier reports that after the two warring clans attended a peace ceremony a skeleton staff returned to the hospital, but only the medical and emergency sections were open to the public.

The surgical section reopened last month.

The School of Nursing and all other departments which were closed will be back in operation after the Health Minister, Melchior Pep, attends a reopening ceremony on Thursday.