Food quality and service at the Hela Provincial Hospital will receive a significant overhaul, as the kitchen staff get better equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to operate the new state-of-the-art kitchen.
In the quest to enhance the services of the newly-opened Hela Hospital kitchen, Hela Provincial Health Authority (HPHA) and Oil Search Foundation (OSF) have promptly undertaken all the required work to get the hospital’s kitchen staff up to speed with the new facility.
Five local cooks, comprising of three males and five females, received professional kitchen training, delivered by a qualified chef who taught them the fundamental skills required to operate such a facility. Participants received insights to food safety systems, personal hygiene, an understanding of how to clean and maintain the kitchen premises and how to store, prepare, cook and serve food as well as use state of the art equipment.
“We appreciate the support from OSF, working in partnership with Hela PHA, to deliver better health outcomes. Their support has enabled our kitchen staff to receive professional training, which was a big need. Our staff are now fully equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to operate this state-of-the-art kitchen,” says CEO for HPHA, Dr James Kintwa.
“This training is also quite fundamental in helping the hospital prepare for COVID-19. Our staff must be equipped with the appropriate knowledge and skills so that the food is prepared and served under the best hygiene practices.”
Executive Director for OSF, Stephanie Copus-Campbell, recognised the importance of having qualified kitchen employees in the ever-evolving food landscape.
“Empowering the kitchen staff with the skills needed to operate the new catering facility will assist patient treatment and recovery and boost the morale of all staff who will eat healthy and delicious meals in the kitchen’s large and airy dining hall,” said Copus-Campbell.
“We will continue to work closely with Hela PHA to improve services for the people of Hela.
“This modern kitchen requires modern knowledge; from the training delivered I can confidently operate the new equipment. I can also say that this has boosted our work morale and we’re looking forward to implementing what we’ve learnt in this new kitchen,” said local cook, Naomi Angobe.
“We are lucky that we have one of the very best hospital kitchens in PNG.”
The state-of-the-art kitchen was built with funding from the Australian government’s K10 million Incentive Fund grant and OSF. The project was administered by OSF in partnership with the Hela PHA. OSF supported and funded the training of kitchen staff.
(Hela General Hospital kitchen staff during training)