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.

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.

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.