July 27th – 28th 2023 saw the PNG Society for Rural and Remote Health executives convene for a strategic planning meeting. As this executive’s term comes to an end this September, they had identified the need for a distinct vision and clear road map to guide future executives to achieve that vision.
L-R: Dr Imelda Assaigo (Society Officer), Dr David Mills (Founder), Dr Spencer Kimsen (Secretary), Dr Varghese Philip (Facilitator), Dr Camy Thomas (Treasurer), Dr Hogande Kiafuli (President)
The Society was created in 2009 and for the next 10 years the same president, founder Dr David Mills, was re-elected every 2 years. This provided for continuity, stability, and growth. However, since 2019 the executive leadership has changed twice.
The Society has also grown greater than an annual continuing medical education conference for its members, the need for this road map became inherently obvious. Each executive term is only 2 years which created hurdles in starting a project and not necessarily see its completion.
The PNG Society for Rural and Remote Health has over the past 14 years established itself as a professional society and has seen the need to expand our work more dynamically in other areas as mandated through our constitution.
Looking towards the future we hope to further develop our advocacy and awareness arms to boldly drive for quality health service in rural areas and spotlight rural health issues at local and national levels, to the public and the government. We want to continue to nurture our members through providing continuing learning and improvement conferences or platforms, and creating arenas of community, encouragement, and support.
To achieve all this a plan was needed and is now here!
At the recent Christian Health Services PNG General Assembly that ended on April 27th Dr Kevin Pondikou of Rumginae Rural Hospital, had the opportunity to give a gift to the Minister for Health Dr Lino Tom. The gift, a beautiful Gogodala paddle, had been itself bestowed on Dr Pondikou in recognition of his service and appreciation for his visit to Balimo District Hospital. Dr Pondikou in turn in appreciation presented it to Dr Tom in recognition of the road he built to Maramuni.
Dr Pondikou recounts his encounter with Maramuni: Presenting my gift of a Gogodala Paddle, which Dr Kaupa Mukale Karl had entrusted to me care for. I was the first Doctor to visit Balimo ECPNG District Hospital in 25years together with my the Resident Medical Officer Dr Kaupa, to the Honourable Minister for Health Dr Lino Tom.
Many years ago it was a weekend and I was in Rughaz when I recieved a phone call from Maramuni regarding a patient. I asked where the nearest hospital was they said it was Wabag but there weren’t any roads.
Then one day many years later I saw a post by Dr Lino saying that he would make a road to Maramuni.
I didn’t hear anything more regarding the road until some time later there was a post which was a video of him driving to Maramuni which blew my mind.
In appreciation of this wonder, I had the opportunity to meet him and presented him with a basket and this Gogodala Paddle .
This achievement is nothing short of spectacular and we, the PNG Society for Rural and Remote Health, believe Dr Mills to be a very worthy recipient.
23 years ago David Mills with his wife Karina and their family moved to Kompiam, a remote region of Enga province in Papua New Guinea. They came to work at the neglected district hospital. Seeing the deficits in healthcare provision in the rural areas of Papua New Guinea. Their persistence to provide faithful indiscriminately quality healthcare and education to their local community and their wider district in the face of tribal conflict and personal hardships has earned the Mills much respect locally, nationally and now internationally.
David Mills had a vision to change the landscape of rural health practice by training physicians with the skills needed to practice and thrive in the rural and remote regions of Papua New Guinea. Through the University of Papua New Guinea the Masters in Rural Medicine program was developed; specifically curated to cultivate a physician to work and provide an impactful and sustainable service through stellar healthcare knowledge and skills, topped with leadership, management and basic infrastructure know-how in their tool belt too. This specialist medical training program has planted the seeds of change that we hope will bear fruit for many years to come to change the landscape of rural health provision in our country to be that of quality, accessibility and vibrancy.
Dr David Mills is also the founder and visionary of this very society!
We commend the International Christian Medical and Dental Association (ICMDA) for recognising the outstanding contribution David Mills has made to healthcare in Papua New Guinea. It is a well deserved!
The mission of ICMDA is to start and strengthen national Christian medical and dental movements. Learn more about ICMDA.
Current President of PNG Society for Rural and Remote Health, Dr Hogande Kiafuli, presents Dr David Mills with a bamboo burnt art piece in thanks for all he has done for medicine, in particular rural medicine, in Papua New Guinea
Recognising the immense contribution of Dr David Mills, the founder of the PNG Society for Rural and Remote Health as well the instigator plus engineer of the Masters in Rural Medicine (UPNG) program.
As many gathered to farewell the Mills family at Kompiam on Saturday 26th November our present president reflects the following:
Jimi district in Jiwaka province is one of the most remote in Papua New Guinea. I travelled to Middle and Upper Jimi on my way to Kompiam this weekend and experienced firsthand the struggles of accessibility that the people of Jimi have when it comes to accessing primary medical services.
Jimi district represents the many rural and remote (and some isolated) places in Papua New Guinea where accessing primary medical care is limited by poor road access; where winding and narrow is the path to accessing a doctor; where pastures of medical care is brown. The government of Papua New Guinea has tried various approaches to solving this issue but all seemed to be superficial, symptomatic and reactive solutions.
There needed to be a change of approach – a paradigm shift. A systemic approach that foster unity of influence; a systematic approach that ensure uniformity amongst diversity; a synergistic approach that bonds vital parts for a better whole. A shift from reactive to proactive. If the people are unable to access a doctor, then let us enable the doctor to access the people.
God’s will to improve rural medical health in Papua New Guinea was instilled as a vision in David Mills and his family. With grits, guts and grind, but most importantly God, the family relocated from Australia, the land down under, to Kompiam District in Enga Province, a land out further. They came as missionaries, and visionaries, carrying seeds of change from God that will transform rural medical service in Papua New Guinea.
One seed was planted in the fertile soils of Kompiam Health Center. Out sprouted the now blossoming tree of Kompiam District Hospital, which is one of the best rural hospitals in Papua New Guinea. A second seed was planted still at Kompiam, where it now is blooming as Kompiam International School, providing quality education in a rural district.
The next seed was planted at the University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG). This was a very special seed – unique in the world and found only in Papua New Guinea. It germinated with struggle but was nurtured passionately till it bloomed into a specialist training program, which has yielded seven master of medicine specialists, specialising in rural health. As it branched further, the Department of Rural & General Medicine took emerged and is now an important department in the UPNG School of Medicine.
Another seed was planted in Papua New Guinea as the PNG Society for Rural and Remote Health. It too struggled to grow but did so eventually and is now a place for rural doctors to ‘feel at home’.
These seeds are actually smart strategies to obtain, maintain and retain doctors in the rural areas. Sure enough, we have a Department that attracts medical students into rural medicine; a graduate level Curriculum that keeps rural registrars in rural hospitals; and a professional Society that keeps the rural doctors connected.
If we are a Society of painters, we would paint a thousand pictures to speak ten thousand words of gratitude to the Mills for their passion, dedication and perseverance in improving rural medical services. They heeded to the call of God and allowed the Holy Spirit to use them to initiate, influence and impact a paradigm shift. Rural medical services is a better version now!
Prosperity is when your life becomes a blessing and healing to others. The Mills have lived a life of prosperity and we wish them more prosperous times ahead and abroad.
On behalf of a grateful Society, and a grateful nation.
Dr. Hogande Kiafuli President – PNG Society for Rural and Remote Health.
Dr Kiafuli visiting Wara Mantz CHP facility under the EBC Church in the Middle Jimi area of the Jimi District in Jiwaka. En route to Kompiam to farewell Dr Mills.
Situated in the Obura-Wonenara district the Kassam Orthopedic Services began offering prosthetic services in the country from April 2022. Since then they have helped 20 people in an ascending trend.
Ruben Herman, Prosthetist and Orthotist, with his wife Thea run the Kassam Orthopedic Services. They are a missionaries with EBC based at the O-Wan/Kassam district hospital. Ruben was trained in Germany and Switzerland. Through the support of donations from a church in Switzerland they are able to purchase the materials needed to provide this much needed service in Papua New Guinea.
They can create protheses for the following types of amputations:
Upper Extremities:
wrist disarticulation
transradial
elbow disarticulation
transhumeral
Lower Extremities
Lisfranc
Chopart
Hindfoot
Syme
Transtribial
Knee disarticuatiom
Transferral (if stump is longer than 20cm from the greater trochanter)
At the moment because of the tremendous support they have from the church they are able to offer prostheses for between K40 – K100 but can only help one patient at a time due to limited bed space availability.
Currently no medical referral letter required but if you, someone you know, is in need of a prosthesis give Ruben or Thea a call/WhatsApp on 7453 3423 .
Situated in luscious Pomio District of East New Britain province the 28 bed Warangoi Rural Hospital has been undergoing some exciting changes for the better this year.
July 2022 saw Warangoi Rural Hospital take on their first 5th year medical students from the University of Papua New Guinea for their rural attachment. Since Dr Micah Misivet began working at Warangoi Rural Hospital in 2020 he had been keen to have medical students and resident medical officers do training rotations at the hospital. However, due to housing constraints it had been a struggle until recently when suitable accommodation was arranged in the local community and Warangoi saw the arrival of his first set of students. Dr Misivet was excited to have his first set of students whose presence he felt “It (would) really enhance myself and my staff academically” as having the students required guidance and teaching from them each day of their 6 week stay.
Dr Micah Misivet is the sole doctor at Warangoi Rural Hospital and with the help of his in hospital staff, 3 of his 5 functioning aid posts and health patrols, they provide healthcare to the approximately 14,686 people who reside in the 8 wards of the hospital’s catchment.
UPNG 5th Year medical students on rural block rotation Susan Walizoba (L) and Bevris Boone (R)
A few days after the arrival of the students the internet wifi by Light Speed was installed at the hospital. Dr Misivet is a MMed Rural Medicine (UPNG) trainee. Part of the MMed Rural Medicine program’s initiative is to equip their trainees with effective, quality telecommunications capabilities to allow them to access virtual continued medical education workshops, tutorials and other online learning facilities as well as allow them to network and communicate with other fellow colleagues as rural practice can often be very isolating experience.
This new satellite set up came on the brink of the PNG Rural and Remote Health Society commencing its inaugural monthly virtual CME conferences. As a result Dr Misivet and his students were able to join that CME conference discussing Anaesthesia in the Bush.
Many of the rural or district hospitals across the country do not have reliable telecommunication services available to them. The installation of the Light Speed satellite has dramatically improved the telecommunication capabilities of Warangoi Rural Hospital. Now communication for referral of patients is more reliable and a WhatsApp referral group has been created between Warangoi Rural Hospital and the medical officers and SMOs of Vunapope Hospital and Nonga Hospital adding to this convenience. Dr Misivet uses the new wifi for internal CME conferences for all staff at the hospital as well as attending external CMEs being hosted by the UPNG and the PNGSRRH.
L-R: MBBS 5 student SusanWalizoba, Dr Micah Misivet, Dr Gabriel Yohang, MBBS 5 student Bevris Boone
Later in August saw Dr Yohang, Head of Rural and Generalist Medicine, drop by Warangoi during his East New Britain supervisory visit of Vunapope, Warangoi and Palmalmal hospitals.
As the new department of Rural and Generalist Medicine of the School of Medicine and Health Science (UPNG) establishes itself, integral to its development is ensuring its trainees – medical students, resident medical officers and MMed registrars – are well supported to achieve their training objectives. Dr Yohang’s visit was a welcome encouragement to the trainees and their respective hospitals.
Medical Officers and RMOs from Vunapope Hospital, Warangoi and Palmalmal Medical Officers with Dr Yohang
June 6-9th 2022 saw the Nazarene Health Ministries (NHM) reach out to the officers-in-charge of their 9 rural health centre facilities and bring them to home base for some long overdue investment in their professional medical knowledge.
Per the words of Dr mark Crouch:
What a privilege to take part in teaching and training for the Officers-in-Charge at NHM’s Rural Health Services clinics. Coming from Madang, Southern Highlands, Morobe, Jiwaka Provinces – as well as NCD – it was the first time NHM collected these impressive people together to create fellowship and impart some practical tools for improving the care they provide at our rural health sites.
Included in the week’s activities were updates on record keeping and reporting, refreshers on TB and HIV care, a maternity skills workshop, and training in the proper maintenance and use of solar power.
Pleased to be a part of this and many thanks to our workers and our Rural Health Services director – Gabriel Mahisu (DGN, MPH) – for making this happen!
Dr Mark Crouch seated with Sr Leah (OIC PHS, NGH) practising vaginal delivery manoeuvres on the mannequin
Dr Mark Crouch demonstrating the same with NHM rural health facilities OICs
Nazarene Health Ministries operates the Nazarene General Hospital in Kudjip in Jiwaka province as well 8 health centres scattered throughout the mainland of Papua New Guinea.
