Anglican Communion News Service - Digest News

By Russell Thompson

The head of the Anglican Church of PNG and the CEO of Popondetta General Hospital
announced a significant health care agreement by which Popondetta General Hospital will
assume the initial management of St Margaret’s Anglican Hospital, Oro Bay, Oro Province.

Dr Gunzee Gawin (left), CEO Popondetta
General Hospital
& Archbishop Joe Kopapa,

Photo Credit: Russell Thompson

The agreement assures that the new 25 bed hospital (due to begin operations in September 2011) will meet or exceed all NDoH Standards as a Rural Level 4 District Hospital as well as upskilling current staff.

The agreement is intended to last for an initial two years in order for the Church to prepare the
hospital for independent operations.

Popondetta General Hospital will provide a resident physician, weekly visiting specialists,
laundry, sterilization, hazardous waste disposal and management services. St Margaret’s will
operate as a satellite to Popondetta General while upskilling staff.

The Anglican Health Services is well known in many Provinces for its important work in aid posts and rural Health Centres in preventative medicine and medical diagnosis. The service will now be acquiring curative hospital skills for future expansion of its services to the rural majority.

Both institutions believe this is a fulfillment of Section 7 of the Public Hospitals Act 1995 and the NDoH’s stated intention for a district hospital in all of PNG’s districts. The intention is further to serve a model.

The new hospital’s major donors include the Anglican Board of Missions - Sydney, Asia
Development Bank and the Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea.

For further information contact: Russell Thompson, +61 3 9431 5676 or via email: russt@tni-australia.com