Real cost Health Care in rural PNG

The true cost of health service delivery in rural PNG does not necessarily measured in monetary terms along. Very detailed, comprehensive public expenditure framework policies have been passed, detailing very well the amount to be spent on health per capita but if they are not achievable than its a waste of resources pumped into developing such policies. If you talk to a rural villager but all these stuff he/she will never understand you well. All they want is the tangible result of the policies.

So what does it take to reach the marginalised, rural population of PNG? It costs the hard working health personnel at the forefront of health service delivery the commitment, the passion, the determination and the conviction to travel beyond their comfort zones, to struggle through rugged, harsh, unwelcoming terrain of PNG to reach these people and administer the basic yet vital health care services. Often all of their struggles and hard work go unnoticed and unrecorded.

Currently on the ground, the surviving health facilities and staff reaching and serving the peripherals of PNG are the health services operated by Christian Health Services, PNG, an overarching governing body of all Church Health Agencies in PNG but reports to National Department of Health. Most of these health facilities are dated back before the Second World War and they were built by early missionaries. They have contributed a lot to the history and development of modern Papua New Guinea.

Health service delivery in PNG after Independence was in a total state of chaos leading to poor health indicators. This trend follows the introduction of Organic Law on Provincial and Local Level Government as the government's attempt to introduce the concept of Decentralisation. The health service then after independence is a complicated, mixture of delegated and transferred roles and responsibilities between the three levels of government. As a desperate attempt to rectify this situation, the government introduces National Health Administration Act, then Public Hospital Act and the recent one which is National Health Administration Act to unify health service delivery as One System.

Though it affects everyone providing health services, the most affected ones are the government health services. Most of their health facilities have closed, workers roaming around being paid for doing nothing and the list goes on.

So what would be the best, effective and innovative way of doing business in health this 21st century? We are and will always be accountable for not providing the necessary but vital health services to the people placed under our care.

MCH Patrols, May River, Ambunti, SDA Health Services

Young Nursing Officer with escort, MCH. May River, Ambunti, SDA Health Services

Ambulance manoeuvring through wetlands during MCH, Kunjingini, Wosera/Gawi, CCHS 

Manoeuvring through bogged waterways, Nursing Officer on MCH Patrols, Ambunti, CCHS, Wewak

Referring an Antenatal mother from Kambot, Angoram District to Wewak. Catholic Church Health Services (CCHS), Wewak

 

A call within a call

Coming from a humble origin in Biwat, East Sepik Province, Andrew Masi, answered Lord’s calling which would change his life forever. Andrew Masi made his final vows on Sunday, the 31st May 2015 to be a full member of Divine Word Missionaries (SVD) after almost 12 years of Theological Studies. He is now awaiting his Deaconship and his Ordination before becoming a qualified SVD Father. Prior to that he was working as a Male Nurse with Catholic Church Health Services, Wewak Diocese and served mostly in Kaugia Sub Health Centre, Wosera Gawi District. One day when he was attending to a patient, the patient requested for a priest to come and give him the Holy Communion. Unfortunately there was no priest around. The dying patient then asked Andrew to be a priest so he can help the dying patients like him in the future. Andrew regards this final conversation with the dying patient as a calling from God and left his career as a Male Nurse and joined the Seminary. He held onto his promise to the patient and remains steadfast to God’s calling. It is only a matter of time before his quest of becoming a priest comes to reality. His dad wept and said, “my role has an earthly father to Andrew ends here and now it is the responsibility of the good Lord to guide and protect him, I have given him up to do Lord’s services”

SASSOYA RECEIVES NEW AMBULANCE, STAFF HOUSE

The long neglected Yangoru Saussia electorate in East Sepik continues to receive needed services in this term of Parliament.
Thanks to its “action” Member of Parliament and Minister for Trade, Commerce and Industry, Richard Maru.
This week a brand new 10 seater Toyota Land Cruiser was presented to the Catholic Church run Sassoya sub health center while Numbo LLG President, Michael Kombo officiated at the commissioning of a new staff house.  
A thankful head of Catholic health services in East Sepik, Sr. Celine Yakasere received the ambulance on behalf of the health center.
The presentation of the ambulance was timely as it would contribute a lot in terms of meeting the demand for quality health services and MCH activities expected by the catchment population. Sassoya HSC has prospered over the years and has attracted patients from beyond its catchment population as well.

DIGICEL GIVES K270,000 IN SERVICES TO EAST SEPIK

Telecommunication giant, Digicel PNG, continues with its benevolent mission in the country and this week pumped over K270,000 worth of assistance into East Sepik province.
This saw the delivery of a K180,000 brand new Toyota Land Cruiser 10 seater ambulance to the remote Ulupu sub health centre (SHC) in the Yamil Tamawi LLG of Maprik district and K92,970 to Callan Services in Wewak respectively, both Catholic church run organisations.
Callan Services through its Special Education Resource Center will roll out a year-long program dealing with People Living With Disabilities (PLWD) in partnership with Digicel’s Community Based Rehabilitation program (CBR) between May, 2015 and May, 2016.
The Ulupu ambulance was presented on Monday (Apr 20) to Wewak Diocese Catholic Health Services Secretary, Sr. Celine Yakasere, an occasion witnessed by Maprik Town Mayor, Paul Dingu, Yamil Tamawi LLG President, Carl Sangi with more than a thousand people who turned up to witness the event.
The investment prompted the Maprik town Mayor, Paul Dingu to make a commitment of K200,000 towards the further development of the health center while the Yamil Tamawi LLG president, Carl Sangi committed a   further K20,000 to the health center.

The ambulance will do Mobile Health Clinic (MHC) runs in the Yamil Tamawi area which has a population of more than 20,000 people.
Maprik MP, John Simon was unable to attend the Ulupu ambulance presentation however, expressed gratitude to Digicel Foundation describing it as “continuous good work of private companies partnering Government in service delivery”.
Ulupu SHC Officer In Charge (OIC), Mr. Eddie Yehrewanie thanked Digicel PNG Foundation for responding to their need and assured them that the ambulance will be used to full fill its purpose of doing routine Outreach Clinics and attend to vulnerable population of pregnant mothers and children.
“The delivery of the ambulance is timely and will greatly help us in reaching out to the 20, 000 plus population of Ulupu SHC catchment,” he added.
The ambulance itself is fully equipped with all the necessary medical equipment capable of performing its duty to full potential.
Digicel Senior Program Manager who officiated at the ceremony, Ms. Ruth Javin said “Digicel PNG Foundation strives to ensure communities are healthy, primarily through the support of community oriented activities. It is the vision of Digicel Company Founder that wherever Digicel Company grows, the community in which the company is doing business grows with it”.

A glimpse of Wewak Town

Hello everyone,

Attached here is a short video showing another typical day of living in the tropical town of Wewak, Papua New Guinea.

Its not much but I hope you like it.

Personal Account

What I am going to talk about is an account of my life since the time of my childhood up until now before I die. Some of you may have a same experience such as mine. For me I would say the 24 years of my life on planet earth is the most enjoyable and memorable years of my life. Though I encountered ups and downs in life, my family would not let me down. We are always there for each other and there is often an atmosphere of peace and unity in my family. The reason for that would soon be discovered. We come from Biwat Village in Angoram District, East Sepik Province.

My father is a retired Correctional Service prison commander who served in the 1960s up till his retirement in 2009. Because of his duty to PNG CIS, we travelled a lot around the country until his retirement. My mother is a “jack of all trade”. She only completed her primary education. But nothing seems to be too hard for her despite her education level. She is a determined lady and learn as much as possible. She is the mistress of the house and takes good care of the six of us. I admired her for sense of duty and hard work. Apart from all that, she is a dedicated Christian. I have four sisters and a younger brother. I love them very much.  

For a typical Papua New Guinean father, a male child means a lot to him. He is the wonder drug, the backbone of the family. That is what my father believes in. It may be quite different for other Papua New Guinean fathers. But for my father, it is not. That is the fact and he would accept only that. The reason for that I still do not know.

My parents have four lovely daughters before me. My mum was satisfied with that. She was contented because she has four extra hardworking pair of hands to count on. But my dad was not. He had always wanted a male child. He would constantly argue with my mum for not giving him a son. My poor mum could not find the right answers to me father’s fury would humbly forgive him and pray that one day God will give them a son they deserve. The more she prays, drove me father really mad. He started cursing God for such misfortunate and went to the extreme of banning mum from praying in the house or go to church. However, this does not prevent her from believing in God. She is a committed Christian and performed her unfailing duty to love her husband and her four daughters unconditionally despite my father’s harsh approach towards them.

I was told by my mum that before I was born, they had never experienced the peace they experience today. Their lives were filled with constant fear and disunity. My father would go drinking every fortnight. He would spend ever thing on beer. When he comes home from the club, he would quarrel with them. He often chases them out of the house and says cruel things to my mum and my sisters. He would spend all the money on beer and my poor sisters would often go hungry. Of all those things he did to them, my mum still forgive him and convinced that one day a son will be born. God will give them a son who will bring peace and unity into her family.  

Before I was born, a Christian woman, one of my mum’s friends, had a dream. In the dream, she saw my mum giving birth to a baby boy and he shall to be named Joseph.  My mum’s prayers and tears asking God for a male son was only awhile away before it would come to pass. How this will happen is all in God’s hands, said my mum.

Before long, after the dream, my mum got pregnant. My dad heard of the dream but he was having doubts. On the month of May 1989, my mum underwent labour and was admitted to Angau Memorial Hospital in Lae. My father was working in Lae at that time. Finally, the long awaited moment has arrived. On 17^th of May 1989, I was born. My father wanted to name me Charles but my mother’s friends stick to their dream and named me Joseph instead. But now I have lots of names. Anyways, my birth finally ends their forever miseries and proclaimed as the ultimate price for peace to come about. Something they had always longed for. There was great rejoicing and celebration on the day I was born. Of course, my dad was drunk that day, but it was for a different purpose and a different reason altogether. He was dead drunk and praised my mum for giving him a son. He was thankful to my mum’s friends for coming to their rescue in those past dark days then.

The good Lord blessed them again with another son sometime later. My mum and dad then and till now were the happiest couple with six children. I considered myself lucky for having four older sisters to fend me and a younger brother to keep me company.

 

2-4s Hiway Angoram

 

Hangout @ Boram Point Wewak

 

what makes a man after 24 years of living

 

SLAP WEWAK_an achievement

SLAP Training, Wewak

A total of 33 nursing officers have successfully completed a week workshop on Service Level Activity Planning (SLAP).

The workshop was hosted by Catholic Church Health Services, E.S.P with the support from Christian Health Services (CHS) and East Sepik Provincial Health Office.

The aim of the SLAP Workshop is to train the nursing officers in charge of Catholic run health facilities on program/activity planning and setting health program targets and objectives to effectively and efficiently utilize vital scarce resources to deliver health care services to the people. Monitoring of health programs performance at the health facility level was one of the key components of the workshop.

Workshop facilitator, Mr Bernard Rutmat, Deputy CEO of CHS, said similar workshops should be conducted in the future and he will be delighted to help. East Sepik Provincial Health Advisor, Mr. Albert Bunat, at the closing of the workshop, said such training is important and as partners in health we should support each other in providing the necessary health services to the people.

The workshop was an accomplishment and the participants were thankful to the Catholic Church Health Secretary and the partners for making the training possible. The Workshop ended on Friday, 14^th November.