RECSI Emergency Care Support Visit to Buka General Hospital

Dr Glenda Kore and Sr Merilyn Raku, emergency physician and senior emergency nurse from Port Moresby General Hospital, recently travelled to Buka General Hospital (BGH) to provide an emergency care support visit, as part of the Regional Emergency and Critical Care Systems Strengthening Initiative (RECSI) program.

Image 1: Sr Raku and Dr Kore (front row, 2^nd and 3^rd from left) after completing triage and patient flow training with BGH ED staff.

Dr Kore and Sr Raku spent 2 weeks at BGH and were graciously hosted by the entire team and in particular, Mr Mana Itamar (nurse unit manager) and Sr Naomi Lalaoia (senior emergency nurse).  Key components of this visit were doing refresher training for the Interagency Integrated Triage Tool (IITT), basic life support (BLS), paediatric life support (PLS), and an introduction to Basic Emergency Care (BEC) as well as general system support.  Training sessions utilised existing course content developed and/or delivered in PNG, demonstrating a sustainable and locally led approach. Some of these trainings were attended by over 40 staff, showing great commitment from BGH, led by the chief executive officer Dr Tommy Wotsia. 

Image 2: BGH staff participating in PLS training

In addition to all this hard work, one of the unexpected highlights was participating in the International Nurses Day celebrations on May 12th - a day acknowledging the dedication of nurses globally, marked in Buka with a march, custom dancing, and speeches.

Image 3: Nurses participating in International Nurses Day celebrations held at BGH during the support visit

Dr Kore was impressed the Buka team did ‘work so hard not only to upskill and impart knowledge to your team but ensuring the entire hospital was able to benefit’.  Sr Raku ‘was amazed to see the training room full of participants ready to learn”.   Mr Itamar was very gracious in thanking the RECSI team, “I sincerely appreciate this very important opportunity given to us. Without you and our sponsors I don't think we won't be able to have this once in a lifetime chances to learnt these basic day to day life saving skills”.  Sr Lalaoia also had words of gratitude saying , “it's a dream that I had for a team to come and train us on BLS/PLS and finally fulfilled.”

Image 4: Dr Kore and Sr Raku (left to right) with BGH staff

RECSI also supported the distribution of two Emergency Learning Labs training kits donated by Laerdal and DAK Foundation.  These kits, with manikins and other simulation equipment, were used extensively during the visit and have been given to the BGH team to assist with future training.

Image 5: Staff with the Emergency Learning Lab training kits that were provided to BGH to support future training activities

This support visit program is planned to be repeated across other sites in Papua New Guinea. 

RECSI is funded by the Australian Government as part of the Partnerships for a Healthy Region program.  National St John Ambulance provided logistical support.