HELPR-1 Hosts Vanuatu’s Deputy PM

Respond Global was honoured to host Vanuatu’s Deputy Prime Minister, Honorable Sato Kilman, the Honorable Minister of Health, Rick Tchamako Mahe, the Honorable Minister of Climate Change Adaptation, Ralph Regenvanu, the Honorable Minister for Justice, John Still Tari Qetu, and their delegations, in addition to High Commissioners/representatives from Australia, the UK, New Zealand and Japan, the Regional Director Melanesia for South Pacific Community, WHO representatives, and various partners and NGO agencies at an event aboard HELPR-1 late last week.

The occasion was an opportunity to demonstrate HELPR-1’s many capabilities, including an oxygen concentrator capable of producing 80 litres of oxygen per minute, and a compressor to allow refilling of vital oxygen bottles for clinics while in community. This large machine, weighing over 700kg is the only mobile oxygen concentrator plant of its size in the Pacific and a valuable backup to the two oxygen plants in the hospitals of Port Vila and Luganville.

Respond Global also received a donation from the Vanuatu Government of 1 million VT to support ongoing health and outreach operations across the remote outer islands.

Dr, Basil Leodoro, Co-Director of HELPR-1 Operations, said, “On behalf of Dr. Ian Norton and myself I must say what a pleasure it was to bring together such distinguished guests and to be able to showcase HELPR-1’s capabilities to both the Government and our donor partners”.