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Lenten stories

Week 4 — Papua New Guinea

Clare's story

Clare, 27, lives in the remote Southern Highlands of Papua New Guinea (PNG), an area rich in oil and gas, with a history of tribal fighting and natural disasters.

“I have been working the past three years at Det Health Centre.” Clare explains. “In the mornings I do a ward round then help the out-patients, the maternity ward, and with administration and weeding the gardens. If there are emergencies I help at night too,” Clare explains.

The Catholic Church is one of the largest maternal health and early childhood service providers in PNG, particularly in regions where health services are otherwise non-existent. Caritas Australia is playing a vital role in the PASHIP program, partly funded by AUSAID, in strengthening the Catholic and government health systems in two provinces, including staffing and upgrading the maternity ward at Det in the Diocese of Mendi, where approximately 50 pregnant women visit each month.

“The maternity services are free here. Many of the mothers are local, but sometimes we get pregnant women traveling on the highway coming in to deliver with us. The biggest health problem is malaria – that can cause complications, especially with anemia,” Clare explains.

Erosion has made the old building at Det unsafe and lack of space and facilities present many challenges for staff to provide effective health care. “The present maternity ward is falling down,” Clare says. “The main problem is the lack of pre-natal services. The roof leaks, the floor is cracked, we have no proper bed and can only attend to the mothers one at a time. One woman went into the shower – her leg went through a hole and she got hurt.”

Like all of Caritas Australia’s community development projects, support in the Southern Highlands of PNG is based on principles of solidarity and subsidiarity. “The local community is expected to give $3 per head as a contribution towards the ward. They are providing labour to prepare the ground, gather stones and so on. We have a weekly work day when the councillors arrange people to work around the Health Centre,” Clare explains.

Caritas Australia is working with the local communities to increase confidence in and utilisation of existing health services. Traditionally, women in the Det area would deliver their babies alone behind their house, a practice which sometimes presented serious dangers to both mother and child.

Young children’s health in the Southern Highlands is still commonly affected by poor nutrition, delayed learning, skin diseases and respiratory illnesses. Caritas is working with local health providers to develop culturally relevant services for diagnosis, treatment and follow up that complement the country’s national and provincial health plans. This includes raising awareness of not only maternal and child health issues but sexually transmitted diseases and primary health care as well.

In addition to funding the new building at Det and supporting improvements in clinical and pre- and post-natal services at Det, Caritas Australia is working in other remote provinces to improve health facilities and equipment. Ongoing training for diocesan health coordinators, government and other health workers is aimed at improving the existing services and infrastructure in the dioceses. Through working together, a wide range of health services in PNG are now improving.

When asked about her own future, Clare explained that: “I would like to work in the health service, and return to do my Bachelors degree. I have only a Diploma. So that would mean in 2012 going back to school.”

When thinking about Det’s new ward, she reflects: “We must make the new ward as comfortable as possible as some mothers do not like to stay and they go home. When I am working with the mothers I try to be patient. I feel for them. I think how if I did not go to school and I was a village woman I would probably miss antenatal clinics too. I help them. I’m ready to help any time.”

How you can help
Your donation to Project Compassion helps Caritas Australia to work with local communities, local services and government agencies to improve health outcomes for vulnerable families.