Whitesands dispensary gets help from Unelco

Unelco utility company based in Port Vila has provided material valued at approximately Vt3.5 million to complete the roofing of a building for Whitesands Dispensary on Tanna that has reportedly been left unfinished since prior to independence 35 years ago.

Whitesands Dispensary serves a population of the area totaling 5,000 people. It has two buildings and the third has been left unfinished and without a roof all this time.

Public Relations Officer of Unelco, Alexia Courville, says the decision to assist Whitesands Dispensary comes following a request made to the company two years ago.

Materials to complete the work including timber, roofing, cement, and paint were loaded onto the ship Vanuatu Ferry and landed at Whitesands last Sunday. On Monday a delegation from Unelco consisting of Alexia Courville and Louis Wakanumune — Institutional Relations Manager, traveled to Tanna and handed over the consignment to the people of Whitesands.

On handing over the material, Courville on behalf of Unelco, signed an agreement with Alick Niafi, the head nurse of the dispensary, under which the people of community of Whitesands have agreed to complete the roofing of the building in the next two months.

Expressing the heartfelt appreciation of the people, one chief of the area said completion of the building was now a reality because they had always hoped that help would come one day and they were very grateful to Unelco for agreeing to their request and providing the materials to complete the job.