Ms. Anne Pakoa runs the Alesi Medical Centre, a local clinic operating out of Erakor Bridge, Port Vila that offers medical testing, condom supplies, mosquito nets, and provides training for local youth to become qualified nursing practitioners. The PIRMCCM Oversight Working Group (OWG) met with Ms. Pakoa to discuss her work at the clinic and her vision for involving youth in the local health sector.
“Most people in this community live off the road markets,” Pakoa explains. “A few have well paid jobs, others earn minimum wage, but most of them are at home. Many of those will sell snacks and kava at the roadside and as a result this street gets very busy.”
With over 1800 households in the area, Pakoa explains that Erakor Bridge is a hot spot for TB and HIV. While there is a high uptake of condoms being offered by the clinic (upwards of 400 per week), greater resources still could be made available in order for Alesi Medical Clinic to fulfil its potential capacity.
“We are beginning to receive free medical supplies from the hospital, including Malaria RTT testing resources, condom supplies, malaria tablets and mosquito nets … We had 100 nets in 2014 which we distributed, but really it hasn’t been enough to supply all of the households in this community.”
Pakoa goes on to explain that Alesi Medical Centre also trains youth in the community to become qualified nursing practitioners, having developed a curriculum to provide opportunities to students – mostly out of school youths – who have been victims of the education system in Vanuatu.
“I wrote the curriculum myself,” she explains. “Most students graduate and then go on to work in government hospitals in Port Vila or Santo, rural clinics, or even set up clinics in their communities.”
“We had one student who, in school, did not go as far as Year 6 Primary. We accepted him here and trained him. At the beginning he couldn’t even write, he had a lot of trouble with theory, but clinically he outstood the rest of the students. Because of the drive he had to pursue a career in health, he is now a permanent civil servant working in the main theatre at Port Vila Central Hospital as a nurse assistant.”
Ms. Pakoa’s story is one of great dedication and determination to not only supply members of the community with much needed health services, but to enable youth in the community to take up this role for themselves. After spending a few hours at Alesi Medical Centre, PIRMCCM OWG members were unanimous in the belief that Civil Society Organisations such as this will continue to play a pivotal role in providing health services to local, often disadvantaged, communities throughout Vanuatu.