Locals In Papua New Guinea Chase Away Health Staff Advocating COVID Vaccinations

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 10th November, 2021) Residents of Mendi, the capital of the Southern Highlands Province in Papua New Guinea, have banished several medical workers who came to their city to raise coronavirus vaccination awareness, local newspaper Post-Courier reported on Wednesday, citing eyewitnesses.

The incident occurred on Tuesday when two cars with medical personnel and two fully-equipped mobile clinics went to a local supermarket to talk to the public about the benefits of vaccinations, but were met with shouts from a crowd that chased them back to the airport.

"People started throwing stones and some threatened to burn the vehicles.

The health workers were afraid and drive off towards sunset then turned right towards Agiru Centre, taking the back road towards the police station and went back," an eyewitness told the newspaper.

The residents of the city insisted that they "are a democratic country and not a communist country where you will force us to get the vaccine."

The police failed to defend the medical staff from the crowd as they were outnumbered, according to another eyewitness.

Before arriving in Mendi, the medical group performed vaccination awareness activities in some other cities of the country, the newspaper said.�