| Paediatric nurse and health administrator Louise Devereux says that doing international volunteer work was always on her list of things to do. In January 2009 she packed her bags for a six-month assignment as Field Manager for ADI in Western Province, hitting pause on a busy career that most recently included projects with the Royal Children’s Hospital in Mebourne and the Department of Human Services VIC. “The poor health statistics of PNG, the small nature of ADI as an aid organisation, and the targeted nature of their medical programs all attracted me to the role,” she said.
When I applied for the role with ADI through Australian Volunteers International, I was a little embarrassed to realise that I knew little about the country, except that it was once run by Australia and had played an important role in World War II. I did some homework and soon learnt that PNG was really struggling in terms of development. The health statistics were particularly confronting and comparable to some of the poorest parts of Africa.
My original role was to set up a new ADI base at Wipim, South Fly. ADI Vice President George McLelland and I spent five weeks on Daru trying to get there, with bad weather and impassable roads finally forcing us to travel there the long way – six hours on a little dinghy. When we arrived the house wasn’t ready and the location was extremely isolated; very different to what we had initially anticipated more about this trip
ADI decided that I would relocate to their local headquarters in Kiunga, North Fly. I lived at the Catholic Mission, which was a very supportive and welcoming community with lots of people always coming and going and everyone busy with pastoral care, education, health care activities, and preparations for the 50th Jubilee celebrations. Some of the missionaries had been there for over 40 years, and many had interesting stories to tell alongside some welcome words of advice for newcomers like me.
My first job was to facilitate an inaugural week-long in-service training program for 59 health workers and hospital staff, many of whom had travelled long and difficult distances to attend e.g. 14 hours in a dinghy for those from Boset, two days walking for those from Golgobip. Topics included tuberculosis, filariasis, HIV/AIDS, drug supply, snake bite management and perinatal care. For many, this was the first clinical seminar they had attended since their original medical training. (View the photo gallery here.)
Another role was to support the Catholic Health Service, which is managed by Sister Anna in Kiunga and has eight health centres throughout North and Middle Fly Districts. Each health centre is responsible for a number of aid posts typically operated by a lone health worker in a remote village.
There are some real challenges in managing a health service that covers such a wide area, especially in an environment where radio is the only form of communication, travel is slow and difficult, and the supply of drugs and equipment from Port Moresby is unreliable.
I assisted Sister Anna with budget management and funding submissions for much needed upgrading of health facilities. I also helped to promote staff development and support staff working in isolated areas.
Then there was the practical side of my work: Transporting patients up and down the highway was a challenge in itself what with the gravel road, truck convoys, soft roadsides that I was prone to getting bogged in, and of course the mandatory flat tyre on every trip. Luckily someone always stopped to help out!
During my time in PNG I was fortunate to go on a 10-day doctor patrol to the Boset area, joining ADI volunteer Dr. Verena Doolabh, Cathy from the Catholic Health Office, Sr. Maureen coordinating the Safe Motherhood Program, and Cornelius from Callan Services. The villagers were very welcoming, and we set up multiple stations for immunisations, antenatal checks, doctor’s clinic and eye and ear testing. It was good to work alongside the local staff and learn from one another.
I also had the opportunity to work with other healthcare providers through the North Fly Health Service Development Program. This program is funded by Ok Tedi Mining Limited (OTML) and coordinated by JTAi, an Australian health consulting company that runs the mine hospital in Tabubil.
The North Fly Health Service Development Program brings together all of the healthcare providers in the district, including the Government, Catholic Health, the Evangelical Church of PNG, and Kiunga Hospital. Though still in its early stages, the program has real potential to make a significant impact on the quality of health care for people in North Fly.
Towards the end my assignment I traveled to Kawito in Middle Fly to conduct an assessment for an oil exploration company wishing to improve health services in the area. This involved visiting villages along the Aramia River and Balimo (the capital of Middle Fly), assessing the current health facilities, and consulting with local government and church healthcare providers. Afterwards I helped develop a report which recommended establishing a local health sub-centre and a regular ADI doctor patrol to surrounding villages.
My time in PNG was one of great variety, interesting challenges, frustrating times and good fun. There are good and bad memories. The bad include patients with very advanced disease and little to offer them, the daily frustrations of getting even the simplest things done, and the seeming lack of a sense of urgency to improve the situation. The good include the simple lifestyle, friendships developed, welcoming villagers, and balmy evening walks where everyone says hello.
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