Reconstruction and renovation work for dormitories, laboratories, mess and tutorial rooms is currently underway at the University of Papua New Guinea’s School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

This is following a sit-in protest a week ago by students led by Student’s Representative Council (SRC) representative Elizah Sap demanding the university’s vice-chancellor and medical schoool dean give them answers about their legacy issues.

During a visit to the school on Thursday, Sap gave an update on the status of renovation work.

• READ MORE: ‘I hear your cry’, UPNG chief tells protesting medical students
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He said there were short and long-term plans outlined in the petition.

“Short term plans include students to use the mess and eat a decent meal, have access to electricity and see renovation taking place to many of the buildings that are at a
deteriorating state,” he said.

“Long term plans include scoping in terms having wi-fi access to all dormitories, staff houses and others.

“We have been neglected for so long and therefore, we have decided to arrange for a sit-in-protest and we want to thank the UPNG vice-chancellor Professor Frank Griffin for the immediate response after receiving our petition.

Broken doors, windows …
“There are broken doors, windows, no furniture in most of the rooms and there are always electrical faults experienced.

“The mess [dining room] has been closed for almost four years due to the unsanitary practices relating to mass hygiene, until four days ago. It was reopened after a new food warmer was installed with proper power supply and equipment,” Sap said.

The school’s mess needs to be renovated.

Sap said that for the last four years, students’ meals were prepared at the UPNG Waigani campus and delivered to the school. However, many times the food was cold and not fresh to eat when it was delivered and some students fell ill from food poisoning.

“We have also been facing continuous blackouts due to PNG Power’s fluctuation and there is no standby genset as it is no longer working.

“We have received confirmation that by next week Tuesday, two new gensets will be delivered,” he said.

Sit-in protest
Sap said the sit in protest was the reason why work had commenced and the students acknowledged vice-chancellor Griffin for the immediate intervention.

The school has 712 registered students from different study disciplines.

The school was established during the 1960s and was previously known as the Papua Medical College.

Since then, most of the facilities in the school had not been renovated or replaced.

Sap said that the only renovation done to some of the dormitories was between 2021 and 2022.

Grace Salmang is a PNG Post-Courier reporter. Republished with permission.

The University of Papua New Guinea’s vice-chancellor, Professor Frank Griffin, has assured protesting students of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences that their concerns raised during a sit-in last Friday will be addressed immediately.

He told the students when receiving a seven-page petition containing protests over the student’s welfare which was presented to him by Student Representative Council (SRC) student representative Elizah Sap that he would act “today”.

“I hear your cry — the work does not start next this week but today,” Professor Griffin said.

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“I have walked through everyone’s dormitories in this campus, the laboratories and the state of the other buildings and the work starts today.

“I have heard your pleas of the students on the whole concept of from the womb to the tomb, this school handles every part of that.

“It may appear that you are being forgotten and neglected, that is not always the case but what we’ll do now is a priority with work and planning starting immediately,” he said.

He told the students that he would return to the campus to discuss with the school’s executive dean and SRC executives to draw up a plan and get the assessment and work going as quickly as possible.

Wifi, generators ‘a priority’
“The issues of having the wifi and generators is a priority that we will look at immediately,” he said.

He said when the school starts next year, it should be a different place.

He said the medical campus was much older than the main campus in Waigani and for now the university would make sure to make the place “fit enough” to be called the School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

SRC president Sap acknowledged Professor Griffin’s response.

“As such, the SRC considers it vital that the student concerns raised in this petition be addressed adequately and promptly,” Sap sad.

“Importantly as well, the SRC calls on the administration to look into all of these matters with due care and consideration in order to formulate strategies to remedy these concerns.

“Only together can the administration and SRC help the University of Papua New Guinea improve services for its students.”

Republished with permission from the PNG Post-Courier.

Student leaders at the University of Papua New Guinea’s School of Medicine and Health Sciences stand firm on their decision to boycott classes today out of “patriotism”.

The medical school students were supposed to resume classes today while the main campus will resume next week.

However, Medfac has decided to continue with the boycott.

Male student representative Hermin Peamo said they would continue with this struggle as “we’ve come a long way and fought a good fight”.

Students at universities across Papua New Guinea have been protesting and boycotting classes for almost two months, calling on Prime Minister Peter O’Neill tio stand down and cooperate with police investigations into corruption allegations.

The UPNG leaders, including course leaders and members of the Student Representative Council (SRC), made the decision last night during a meeting.

“We have talked about all possible avenues regarding our academic studies and have decided that we will continue to stand in this fight,” Peamo said

“Whatever risk that it might take, we are ready to face it and we are not afraid to take risks as leaders,” he said after a student forum today.

Afternoon forum
Another forum was held this afternoon to collect views from the student body at the Three-Mile campus.

Peamo said: “SMHS [School of Medicine and Health Sciences] is really complex and diverse and we leaders have been really challenged to make strong decisions for our country and the people.

“It is our patriotism and our moral conscience that has caused us to stand this far.”

Peamo added that this is their stand and they would convey that message to their fellow colleagues and students at the Waigani Campus.

Meanwhile, UPNG acting chancellor Dr Nicholas Mann has urged students to avoid situations that would lead to another suspension. He said they would do more damage to their academic year if they continued to boycott.

An unnamed student correspondent today posted a message at Loop PNG, claiming that “most of the medical students attended class today”.

The student added: “Please, Loop PNG reporters must get information properly. Some started class today. The ones that you saw today at the forum [were] mixed with students from the main campus [at Waigani].

Quintina Naime is a reporter for Loop PNG.

• UPNG lifts suspension of classes