The Port Moresby General Hospital’s Special Care Nursery were proud recipients of 6 boxes of newborn care kits including various medical equipment from UNICEF. UNICEF presented the newborn kits containing 3 doppler foetal heart detectors, 9 resuscitators, neonate set, 3 electrical baby scales, 6 drip stands, 9 bulb suction reusables, 30 tape measures and 20 thermometers in a special ceremony on Friday 15th April. Various medical equipment included 10 pulse oximeter, 15 Neonatal Stethoscopes, 3 Warmer system newborn radiant with accessories, 2 Ventilators, 2 Phototherapy Unit with Accessories, 4 Bubble CPAP Machines, 2 Portable Ultrasound Scanning System including Cardiology and 2 Sony Digital Printers. PMGH Director of Medical Services, Dr. Koni Sobi said, through collaboration with partners and stakeholders, they can drive and improve the health indicators in this country. “We just can't do it alone. The government of this country can’t do it alone. We need the collaboration of everyone, all the partners in healthcare, in private, in the community. We all need to work together to realize good outcomes as far as health care is required in this country.” UNICEF, Chief of Health, Dr Satish Gupta spoke of the collaboration with the National Department of Health to strengthen neonatal services in the country. “The first day of life is the most important in the life of a child. When the delivery takes place, the first 24 hours and the first 72 hours are the most critical for the survival of a newborn and if we can provide good care services at the facility we can reduce mortality in the country.” He also presented on the newborn care program to strengthen quality newborn care at the community and facility level through capacity building, providing critical equipment and having a mentorship program to provide on the job building for Paediatric and O&G societies. Dr Osborne Liko, Secretary for Health acknowledged the roles that each partner and stakeholder plays and the teamwork and support towards neonatal care. “We are working with partners to build the capacity of our health facilities so that they are able to manage newborn complications which includes the needs of the premature babies.” “And this includes effort focused on upgrading some health facility and providing equipment for newborn care and health care workers working in special newborn care nurseries and trained to manage complications associated with the premature deliveries,” Dr Liko said. He added that the newborn care kits received provide the necessary tools at the primary healthcare levels across 22 provinces and to support newborn deliveries and care.

The PNG Residents Women’s team recently made history being the first Papua New Guinean team to participate in the annual Australian National Women’s Championships. The 2024 Harvey Norman National Championships held on the Gold Coast from the 20th - 24th of March 2024 in Burleigh, saw the PNG team join Fiji in their inaugural appearance with the support of the PacificAus Sports and the NRL. The PNG Residents team played 4 matches during the 4-day tournament, grabbing two wins, and suffering two losses. NSW Country Women 22 - PNG 0 PNG 44 - South Australia 0 PNG 6 - ADF Women 0 First Nation Gems 12 - PNG 0 The tournament saw an enormous effort by the PNG Residents, with solid performances from the 18 women squad and seeing Belinda Gwasamun take out the Tahnee Norris Player of the Tournament and five-eighth, Meli Joe, being named in the Team of the Tournament. Head Coach of the PNG Residents, Solomon Kuliniasi said of the ladies effort, “I am absolutely proud of the team. From day one of the campaign to the last game, they did their country proud.” “They committed, sacrificed, and worked hard for each other. The hours they put in at training was the foundation for the team's success.” The team successfully completed the NRL’s RISE ROOKIE Program, culminating in their selection in the first ever women’s team from PNG to represent the country in this tournament. The team was predominantly made up of female athletes from the 2023 PNG National Women’s Championships, the 2023 Prime Ministers XIII and the 2023 Pacific Championships and also players who participated in international invitational matches and fixtures at the end of last year. General Manager for the PNGRFL’s Performance and Pathways, Tony Archer said, “The team’s prepare and performance is a further indication of the talent we have in women Rugby League in PNG which will only be further strengthened with the potential of the Women’s National Competition later this year and the work being done by the NRL Bid in Junior Development Pathways.” “We were fortunate as the Australian National Women’s Championships has been a proven pathway for aspiring players hoping to make their way into the state wide and ultimately the NRLW.” “These championships gave an opportunity for our players to showcase their skills in an important International Pathway Championship. It is a credit to all the players, coaches, and support staff on their performances, and just as importantly how they represented themselves, their families and nation. We all should be very proud of each of them. We thank the NRL for organizing such an event and the on-going support of PacificAus Sport program. We look forward to providing more similar opportunities for our female players” Archer said. The participation of the PNG Residents came off the back of the increased engagement and support shown for the development of the women’s game and the performance of the Santos PNG Orchids over the past five years, which included their semi-final berth at the 2023 Rugby League World Cup in England and their Pacific Championships win against the Cook Islands in Port Moresby.

An ever-present Viliame Kikau led the way as the Bulldogs beat the Titans into submission on their way to a 32-0 shutout of the Titans on Saturday afternoon. Kikau destroyed the Gold Coast last-tackle plan at times with his ferocious kick pressures, one of which ended in him scoring a try following a charge down in the first half, to help the Bulldogs end a six-game winless run which stretched back to July last year. The Fijian powerhouse added a try assist before full-time and was joined by centre Jacob Kiraz and off-season recruit Josh Curran as the individual standouts in a much-improved team effort from Cameron Ciraldo's men, following heavy defeats to the Sharks and Eels earlier in the month. In front of an animated crowd at Belmore Sports Ground the Gold Coast wilted, making 11 errors on a day in which they also lost captain Tino Fa'asuamaleaui to a knee injury which saw him unable to put weight on his right side as he was helped from the field by trainers. After a sloppy opening 17 minutes which saw a combined five errors and five penalties – and included Titans five-eighth Kieran Foran spilling the ball with an open line metres in front of him – Jacob Preston got the scoring started minutes after his side had a try ruled out by the Bunker for obstruction. Kikau's charge down on a Tanah Boyd clearing kick then saw him left with a simple scoop and score, which after Matt Burton's second conversion gave Canterbury-Bankstown the 12-0 lead they took to the break. The hosts looked to have a third just two minutes into the second stanza, but Curran's effort was rubbed out when Burton was ruled to have obstructed a defender in the lead up. But they didn't have to wait long for more opportunities, with Reed Mahoney and Jacob Kiraz both scoring in the space of eight minutes to all but kill off the contest. That didn't trigger any let up from the Dogs though, with Connor Tracey grabbing Kikau's pass for a try in the corner before Blake Taaffe backed up a Mahoney line break for his first try as a Canterbury-Bankstown player. Source: NRL.Com

A rugby league captain who assaulted his ex-partner was branded an ‘entitled bully’ by a judge and slammed for his treatment of women. Dion Aiye, 35, the captain of Whitehaven Rugby League, kicked his former girlfriend in the stomach and held her by the throat, leaving her in fear for her life. Aiye had admitted assault by beating and harassment at a hearing last month and was sentenced for the offences at Preston Crown Court on Thursday. Outlining the case, prosecutor Richard Flook said Aiye began a relationship with the woman in 2020 and they had moved in together during the pandemic. The relationship ‘started well’ but then progressed to arguments. On February 28, 2021, the pair had gone to the victim’s mother’s address for her birthday and then returned to their home in Barrow. Aiye had been lying on the floor and was on his phone but was hiding it so the victim couldn’t see what he was doing. Aiye said he was texting other girls. The victim tried to grab the phone from Aiye, who pushed her, causing her to fall over and hit her arm. As she stood up, he kicked her to the stomach and was laughing at her as this happened. She told Aiye to get out. He then grabbed her by the throat. She was able to call 999 and Aiye was still laughing, telling her, ‘at least I will be able to get a lift home when police arrive’. The woman was left with bruises and was winded. Another incident during a trip to Chester was outlined to the court. Aiye had called the victim a derogatory term multiple times and she had gone back to the hotel. He also returned to the hotel 15 minutes later and began packing his bag. She tried to stop him leaving and the defendant pushed her over, into a doorframe. He then punched the doorframe above her head. The court heard the couple had gone away to London to watch a rugby game. While there, Aiye told her to smile and called her a ‘miserable, old ****’. She had then left. Aiye had said to her, ‘just you wait’. When she asked what he meant, Aiye replied, “I will f*****g leather you when I get back’. Mr Flook said Aiye had criticised how the woman looked after her daughter. He also sent messages to her, telling her to kill herself and called her offensive names. During police interview, Aiye denied assault and said the relationship was ‘toxic’. He said they would often drink together and he was not a violent man. He said she had lied to ‘ruin his life and career’. The victim read an emotive personal statement to the court, which said she believed her life was at risk when Aiye kicked her in the stomach. She said: “I will never forget the hatred in his eyes. “I wish I had been strong enough to get out the relationship then. I was always walking on eggshells. I was always trying to please Dion. “He would sleep with other girls if he didn’t get what he wanted. “I have spent my days looking over my shoulder since going to police. “The day he started shouting at my daughter, I knew I had to end this relationship. I feel guilty I put my daughter in this position. I feel like I let her down. “This man should not be allowed to continue impacting my life. I want justice and closure for my daughter and myself.” Anthony Parkinson, defending, said: “The offending is almost two years ago. He has been on bail throughout the course of the investigations and court proceedings. There has been no breach of that.” Mr Parkinson said a curfew would interfere with matches and training as part of his employment as a professional rugby player. Passing sentence, Judge Guy Mathieson said Aiye was an ‘entitled bully’ who thinks women are there to ‘do his bidding’. He said: “If they don’t come up to the standards you set, there are consequences. This is about you getting what you want.” Judge Mathieson said he hoped the proceedings had been a wake-up call for Aiye that he ‘can’t treat another human being in this way’. Aiye, of Richmond Terrace, Whitehaven, was given an 18-month community order with 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days and 240 hours of unpaid work. A five-year restraining order was imposed which bans Aiye from contacting the victim or her daughter by any means or going to an address where they are present Source: Newsandstar.co.uk    

Brisbane overcame the loss of captain and star playmaker Adam Reynolds to defeat South Sydney 28-18 in a razzle dazzle display before 35,507 fans at Suncorp Stadium. With Reece Walsh outpointing Latrell Mitchell in the battle of the superstar fullbacks, the Broncos stormed home in the second half after the Rabbitohs had equalled the scores at 12-12 in the 45th minute. Walsh and rookie winger Deine Mariner scored two tries apiece, while left centre Selwyn Cobbo, in just his second match since moving from the wing, was too hard to handle for the Souths defence. However, the win was dampened by an injury to Reynolds, who started the match with his right knee heavily strapped and was forced from the field in the 70th minute. The win was the first for the Broncos after losing their Round 1 match against Sydney Roosters at Allegiant Stadium, while the Rabbitohs remain winless after being beaten by Manly first up in Las Vegas. Whether it jet lag or the 80% humidity in Brisbane at kick-off, the first half was an error-strewn affair in which both teams struggled to hang onto the ball. Brisbane's completion rate was just 60 per cent and Souths were worse, finishing only 53 per cent of their sets of possession. However, it was a more composed Souths team that came out of the sheds for the start of the second half and after conceding just two points to trail 12-0 while Damien Cook was in the sin bin they drew level within five minutes. Tongan hooker Siliva Havili scored the first Rabbitohs try when he dummied and beat Jordan Riki and Pat Carrigan to force his way over from close range in the 43rd minute. Havili then turned provider to put Cook Islands prop Davvy Moale over two minutes later after holding a pass up close to the line and the scores were suddenly locked at 12-12 Cobbo helped regain the lead for the home side when he put winger Jesse Arthars over in the corner in the 52nd minute and the pair then combined for the try of the match 12 minutes later. Walsh, who had scored in the first half, got his second try of the match after Cobbo sent Arthars racing down the left touch line and the winger kicked in field for the flying fullback, who received a favourable bounce to cross untouched. Broncos right winger Deine Mariner opened the scoring in the 18th minute after Reynolds, who targeted Souths' left edge with his kicking, put the ball behind Alex Johnston and Richie Kennar for the speedster to regather in the in-goal. The Broncos were leading 10-0 when Cook was sent to the sin-bin in the 30th minute for a professional foul after a Reynolds break but they were only able to add a penalty goal while Souths were down to 10-men. The Rabbitohs started the second half strongest but Brisbane overpowered them to secure a comfortable win, with a late Mitchell try making the scoreline more respectable. Source: NRL. com

The Broncos and Rabbitohs kick off an intriguing Round 2 of the NRL Telstra Premiership as they look to bounce back from their Vegas disappointment in the opening round. Also seeking to rebound in Round 2 are premiers Penrith, who square off with olr rivals Parramatta in a Friday night blockbuster. Among the big names returning are Seb Kris and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, with the Roosters enforcer lining up for his 299th career game on Sunday at 4 Pines Park.  

The Cowboys piled on seven tries in a 43-18 rout of the Dolphins to open their 2024 campaign in style at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday afternoon. In their first game under the guidance of new attack coach James Maloney, North Queensland took full advantage of the Dolphins' inability to defend late in tackle counts and on four occasions scored tries when they opted to run the ball on play five. Outside of the clever decision-making of playmakers Chad Townsend and Tom Dearden, whose tactics were on point across the 80 minutes, second-year centre Zac Laybutt was the outstanding individual performer. The 22-year-old scored a brilliant opener on three minutes and laid on a classy assist for Kyle Feldt later in the half, with the right-centre spot made vacant by Peta Hiku's off-season departure now looking to be his for the foreseeable future. The final score wasn't the only bad news for the Dolphins, with back-rower Connelly Lemuelu reported to have suffered a dislocated kneecap which is set to rule him out for an extended period. While they were able to hit back through new recruit Tom Flegler after Laybutt's early strike, Wayne Bennett's side were never really in the contest once the Cowboys got on a roll and ran in further tries to Dearden, Jeremiah Nanai and Feldt. Josh Kerr offered a brief reprieve with a try on 32 minutes, but Murray Taulagi's effort, a fifth Valentine Holmes conversion and late Townsend field goal made it 31-6 at the break. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow literally kicked the ball to Heilum Luki for the Cowboys' sixth, in a regrettable attempt to retrieve possession, while a penalty try – credited as a second for Laybutt – came 12 minutes from time after Jack Bostock was ruled to have pushed the centre off the ball and denied him a try. Bostock got at least some redemption minutes later when he finished a scorching attacking play for the Dolphins, but it was too late to impact anything other than the final highlights package. Source: NRL. com

The Papua New Guinea (PNG) National Rugby League Competition (NRLC) has made some changes the 2024 Digicel ExxonMobil Cup draws after revising it recently. Following the announcement of the 2024 Public Holidays in January, and working closely with their clubs, some amendments to the original draw released in December were required. The 12-team competition will still kick off on the weekend of the 13th -14th of April. The season will witness the return of Asila Waghi Tumbe after a one-year absence and will host the Gas Resources Central Dabaris in a home match at Minj. There will be 108 matches in the 18 regular rounds with the top six clubs featuring in the final's series commencing on 25th August, and the grand final will be set on 15th September at the Santos National Football Stadium in Port Moresby. Excitingly, fans will not need to wait long to see the grand final replay between premiers EPG Enga Mioks and the runner up Bintangor Goroka Lahanis. Their match is scheduled in the round 5 clash in Wabag at the Aipus Oval. PNG NRLC General Manager Mr. Leith Issac expressed his excitement for the 2024 season. "We are excited to announce the revised draws after working closely with our clubs over the last couple of months to make the 2024 competition even better,” he said. “The game will be faster, this competition will illustrate the thrilling brand of rugby league in PNG for all our fans to enjoy across the country.” He later went on to thank the wonderful support and commitment of their sponsors, the clubs and their sponsors as well for another highly anticipated season of rugby league action.

The last time the Panthers lost a grand final was way back in 2020 at the hands of the Storm and they have well and truly set the record since then with three premierships on the bounce. The last time the Storm lost a Round 1 game was 2001, with Craig Bellamy never having lost an opening round match in his remarkable two-decade reign as head coach. After being pushed to golden point by the Eels in Round 1 last year, the Storm again face a massive task if they are to keep the streak going, welcoming the back-to-back-to-back premiers to AAMI Park. Coming off the back of a heartbreaking and controversial loss to Wigan in the World Club Challenge, the Panthers will look to hit back hard and make an early statement as they look to the first team since St George in the 50s and 60s to win four titles in a row. The welcome at AAMI Park is sure to be a hostile one as the Storm defend their turf and their outrageous Round 1 record against the NRL's benchmark side. Source: NRL. Com

Newcastle coach Adam O’Brien lamented his team’s lack of patience and poise in their 28-12 loss to Canberra at McDonald Jones Stadium on Thursday night. After their whirlwind finish to last season, when they built a 10-game winning streak that culminated in a 30-28 extra-time victory over the Raiders in the first round of the finals, the Knights were out-muscled in the middle and looked out of sorts at the end of their sets. “Our game lacked any sort of grit,” O’Brien said. “We were impatient, it felt like we wanted the highlight reel, where the other mob, when you score four tries or whatever on the last play, and they were scrappy tries, but that’s what they wanted. “They wanted to come here and get into a scrap, and I don’t reckon we did, and we got a lesson in what wins the first month of footy. “That’s high completions and working hard all the way through to the back end of the set and not looking for the easy way out. So it’s pretty easy to dissect it, I reckon.” Completing at 90 per cent to Newcastle’s 66, and making only six errors against Newcastle’s 15, the Raiders played the way the Knights expected them to. Knights captain Kalyn Ponga was well contained and made some uncharacteristic handling errors that stymied several attacking opportunities. “We weren’t patient. We know what sort of team Canberra are, and that’s how we had to play tonight and we didn’t do that,” Ponga said. “I think ‘Coach’ summarised it pretty well. That’s how it felt, to be honest. We made too many errors in that first half. “I felt like when we were controlling the footy, we were in control of the game, but yeah. “I thought we started the second half well again too. When we held the footy, completed sets, I felt like we were in control of the game, then little things change momentum. “They were scrappy, they were gritty, and we weren’t.” O’Brien believed the Knights lost their way after a Tyson Gamble try was disallowed in the 24th minute because Tyson Frizell obstructed Canberra hooker Danny Levi in the lead-up. Levi ran into Frizell trying to reel in a run-away Ponga in the middle of the field. Though the Raiders received the penalty, which ultimately led to a Zac Hosking try, they also lost Hudson Young to the sin-bin for 10 minutes because of Young’s late contact on Ponga but the Knights could not capitalise on their extra-man advantage. Frizell scored from a Gamble pass just before Young returned, cutting the deficit to 8-6, but the Knights were out of rhythm for most of the second half and could not build or sustain pressure. Tries to Levi, Xavier Savage and Jordan Rapana in a 20-minute stretch allowed the visitors to skip away to an unassailable 22-6 lead with 10 minutes remaining. Both teams had several tries disallowed but O’Brien offered no excuses, suggesting the Raiders stewed all summer on their finals defeat at the same venue last September while the Knights might have allowed themselves to read too much into his pre-season back-slaps. “The disallowed tries had nothing to do with our problems at the moment,” O’Brien said. “There’s some stuff that we need to take ownership of, so I’m not going to sit here and whinge about that. “The other mob were good. They’ve spent their summer dreaming about coming back here, and we’ve been happy with our summer – and I’ve probably told them too many times how good a summer we’ve had – so I don’t need to do that anymore.” Knights winger Enari Tuala suffered a quadriceps strain just before half-time, putting him in doubt for the game against his former club North Queensland in Townsville on March 16. Source: NRL.com

The National Department of Health (NDoH) is gearing up for a significant recruitment drive following the approval of its new structure by the Department of Personnel Management (DPM). In a bid to ensure a robust, transparent, and effective recruitment process, the NDoH has enlisted the expertise of a reputable, independent PNG-based recruitment firm. The PNG Australia Transition to Health (PATH) program has been engaged to evaluate submissions for Expressions of Interest and appoint the selected firm. This process is expected to finish within the week. The selected recruitment firm will assist NDoH with advertising and filling 164 priority positions, including high-ranking roles such as Deputy Secretary and Senior Executive management positions. The recruitment process for these priority positions is expected to be completed by June 2024, with a plan in place to address the remaining positions thereafter. The NDoH is committed to selecting the right people for the right roles through an open, competitive, recruitment process, setting a precedence for driving excellence within the healthcare sector.

The Raiders will be without veteran Elliott Whitehead for their season opener against the Knights as he battles a calf injury. Whitehead is expected to miss between 3-4 weeks, with his place for Thursday's game taken by new recruit Zac Hosking. Also watching from the sidelines at McDonald Jones Stadium will be Knights hooker Jayden Brailey, who is nearing a return from a hamstring injury. "He's very close, if it's not Round 2 it'd be a definite Round 3," Knights coach Adam O'Brien said on Wednesday. "He looks really good, every time I see him, but given his history, it's a long season and I don't want to rush it." Source: NRL. com