School of Medicine and Health Sciences

UPNG opens 40-bed accommodation

The thoughtfully designed student accommodation allows more women students to live and study on campus.

Funded by the Australian Government through an Incentive Fund grant, the accommodation will cater for 40 female students including those living with a disability. The facility has lounge areas, solar-heated hot water systems and kitchens.

School of Medicine Launches Project

The new high-quality living facilities will house up to 40 students and are expected to increase access and retention of women medical students from across PNG.

The dormitory is part of a master plan in support of the School’s goal to become a standalone university for medicine.

At the launch, Australian High Commissioner, Jon Philp, said: “Increasing the number of women doctors and health professionals will strengthen the overall health workforce and system in PNG, and this is a priority for Australia in our partnership with PNG”.

Court stays UPNG medical faculty separation

The National Executive Council decision became subject to judicial review after leave was granted today in court.

On September 4, 2017, Prime Minister Peter O’Neill revealed during the 53rd annual medical symposium forum in Port Moresby the National Executive Council’s approval to separate it from UPNG.

The decision was made in February last year after a trip to Cuba to recruit 30 Cuban doctors to serve in 15 districts in the country.

Academic doctors give Govt one week to respond

The 30 academics at the University of Papua New Guinea School of Medicine and Health Sciences commenced one week stop work today.

The protest is due to the delay in backdated awards; the awards payment of over K5.6 million dates back to January 1, 2014.

The Award is a legal document that the Government has signed as a commitment to pay doctors a certain amount of benefit.

The academic staff met on Monday to discuss the delay of the payments and have decided to stop work after many meetings and verbal assurance from the Government.