Nurses

Finally, the Chief Executive Officer, Fidelis Waipma, Dr. Martin Daimen the Director Public Health and Dr. Judith Gawi Director Curative Health and other administration members walked over to their placed seats.

To the dismay of the all the organizing nurses and those that attended the gathering, CEO Waipma, called on the media and told them to leave the forum, stating that it was an “Internal Issue” which they needed to sort on their own and that they would have a later date set for the media to be briefed upon the outcome.

Lae district nursing officer, Sr Manzia Bomiringnu, outlined this during the commemoration of International Nurses Day as well as the 50^th golden jubilee of the PNG Nurses Association on Friday, May 12^th.

 Sr Bomiringnu has 43 years of service under her belt.

She said those in public health started in the bushes.

The PNG Nurses Association, which was formally registered on December 12^th, 1972, has over 4,000 members.

The Morobe chapter of nurses had morning devotion before their executives spoke of the vital roles they play, the passion to serve and adhering to their code of conduct.

Long-serving nurses and community health workers were also called up to the front and acknowledged for their services.

Among them was 66-year-old Sr Martha Marampau, who has been serving the nation for 47 years.

Located on the Alotau General Hospital grounds, the nursing school is Milne Bay's only tertiary institution run by the three main churches; Anglican, Catholic and United Church. The school is supported by the Milne Bay Provincial Government and National Government.

The school attracts nursing students from all over the country apart from Milne Bay who complete a three-year Diploma in Nursing program.

Milne Bay Provincial Health Authority Chief Executive Officer, Dr Perista Mamadi, delivered the graduation’s keynote address.

The Medical Registration Act was enacted in Parliament in 1980, which used to regulate and register all different cadres of health professionals in the country.

The law sets out the requirements of health professional registration and the standard under which they are to practice.

This is according to Minister for Health, Jelta Wong, he said the Government would soon launch the National Health Plan 2021-2030 and the newly released National Health Service Standards.

These documents provide the road map and guiding framework for improved health systems strengthening and health care delivery.

“Part of the focus of the plan is to increase technical and clinical training. We must ensure we have the right people with the right skills to provide health services to the people of Papua New Guinea,” Minister Wong said.

During the recent International Nurses Day celebration, a lot was said about the roles and responsibilities of nurses but most of all nursing officers were thanked and acknowledged by their superiors in the profession.

Nurses are seen as the assistants to medical officers in the health field, however in PNG it is usually a nurse or a community health worker who is on end to provide healthcare, especially in remote rural communities.

Sr. Carol Hosea, Director of Nursing at Port Moresby General Hospital (PMGH) was among those, who advocated for better support to nurses.

World Nurses day falls on the 12^th of May every year to also commemorate the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the lady of light who brought light into the nursing career to what it is today.

Nurses came in different colours depicting the many changes in their uniforms over the years since the beginning of modern day nursing since 1965.

General Secretary for the PNG Nurses Association, Gibson Siune talked about the important role of a nurse.

With doctors standing down from their jobs at the ANGAU Memorial Provincial Hospital, the COVID-19 hospital lacking emergency drugs and other critical medical supplies, the Nurses Association Morobe president, Siling Awasa, is urging citizens to protect themselves against the virus.

She outlined that sunlight (heat) contributes to the healing of multiple health conditions, including severe acute respiratory syndrome.

This was demonstrated by the experiences of current nursing scholars Yolanda Som, Steven Johnson and Joshua Kamrai.

Yolanda Som and Steven Johnson, from Morobe Province, are currently in their second year of a Diploma in General Nursing course at the Lae School of Nursing. They are part of a cohort of 10 Newcrest-funded awardees currently studying for a nursing qualification through Australia Awards scholarships.