Goroka hospital to help train doctors

GOROKA General Hospital (GGH) will be the second clinical school outside Port Moresby under a new initiative by the Port Moresby-based School of Medicine and Health Services (SMHS).      
Its head, Prof Sir Isi Kevau, said in a statement last Friday the SMHS UPNG Taurama Campus’ strategic plan had set out the direction the school should take in the next five years and beyond.
“The school is challenged by the government’s Vision 2050, the new national health plan and other recent reports that call for a significant increase in the intake of students into medicine.”
He said among the plan called for the establishment of a clinical school outside Port Moresby.
He said the school, since its establishment more than 50 years ago, had always utilised the Port Moresby General Hospital as its only clinical school.
Sir Isi said initial talks started two years ago with the management of GGH board on hosting a second clinical school.
The plan received a positive response from the GGH senior hospital clinical staff, the Institute of Medical Research and the Eastern Highlands provincial administrator.
The latest discussions, which included staff of the provincial health administration (PHA), took place at Goroka last Friday.
The initiative is expected to commence on July 2013 with the posting of 10 final year MBBS students to GGH.
The students are expected to rotate through a couple of attachments taking them to the end of their medical training programme.