HEALTH

Weekender

Training midwives, saving lives

Jinny Mombu (left) and Joanne Nanguhori with after their graduation in November 2020.

JOANNE Nanguhori is from East Sepik and Jinny Mombu from Southern Highlands, but they share the same passion – to take care of the sick and the vulnerable.
The desire to heal drove them to pursue studies in nursing. While Joanne graduated in 2000 from Kudjip School of Nursing, Jinny completed her studies from Mendi School of Nursing in 2018.
Joanne’s work with rural health facilities brought her face to face with the realities of maternal and infant mortality. The ghastly experiences sunk deep within her. She recalled a moment. “I was helping out in the maternity ward when a heavily pregnant woman was brought in. She died soon after due to loss of blood, but the scene stayed with me.”
Growing up in the village, Jinny saw the difficulties that women in her village faced during pregnancy and childbirth. The situation had not changed much even years later when she joined as a volunteer nurse for a short stint at the Pombreal Health Centre in 2018. Mothers and babies were still losing the battle during pregnancy and childbirth.
Though eager to help more, it was not until 2018 that they came to know about the joint sponsorship programme between the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Southern Highlands Provincial Health Authority that supports nurses pursue higher studies in midwifery. Sensing the opportunity to develop their midwifery skills, both Joanne and Jinny immediately sent in their applications.
In 2019, they were selected to do a bachelor’s degree in midwifery studies at University of Papua New Guinea and successfully graduated in November 2020.

Lillian Temo, coordinator of Midwifery Studies at the Medical Faculty of the University of Papua New Guinea.

“Saving even one life – whether it’s the mother or the baby – is very gratifying. We will retire to our graves knowing we have contributed to lowering the mortality rate of mothers and infants during pregnancy,” said Joanne.
Papua New Guinea has one of the highest maternal and infant mortality rates in the world. According to the World Health Organisation, for every 1,000 births, as many as 24 babies and nine mothers lose their lives. Many of these deaths are preventable.
The PNG Government, through the National Department of Health, rolled out midwifery courses across five universities in the country with an aim to help as many as a hundred specialist nurses graduate in midwifery every year.
According to Lillian Temo, coordinator of Midwifery Studies at the Medical Faculty of University of Papua New Guinea, the high tuition and lodging fees often hinder many from applying or completing their studies.
“Without specialised nurses, birth complications and dangers associated with pregnancy can go undetected, resulting in deaths. If we can have one midwife per health facility across the country, we can save more lives and improve the current statistics,” Temo added.
In 2019, the ICRC partnered with provincial health authorities to support the training of qualified midwives in the country. This sponsorship covers the tuition and lodging fees, provision of material like textbooks, medical instruments like thermometers, blood pressure machines, stethoscopes, return airfares, graduation gowns and airfares to attend graduations. The provincial health authorities cater for salaries and other expenses during placements.
The first-of-its-kind programme by the ICRC in PNG has seen five nurses – Priscilla, Myrtel, Janeth, Joanne and Jinny – get trained and work as qualified midwives in five health facilities in Bougainville, Hela and Southern Highlands. Another three nurses are currently undergoing studies and are likely to complete the midwifery course by 2021.
The scholarship programme was created to support the PNG Government’s major aim of enabling more pregnant women to access services of qualified midwives, increase the number of midwives to provide quality antenatal care and safe deliveries and contribute to reducing maternal and infant mortality rates in PNG.
The ICRC hopes to sponsor more midwives in the next batch under the programme.

  • Story and pictures by the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC)

A mother handing over tools and seedlings to the youths to use them for gardening.

Youths say no to drugs

By Ps PETER AGLUM
THE“take back PNG and make it the richest black Christian nation,” catch phrase by the current government starts with us individuals. We have to take back ourselves before we take back the country.
The Inaugl youths of Mitnande LLG in the Kundiawa-Gembogl district in Chimbu held an Interdenominational rally from Jan 5-8 at Dangaugl village to completely give up on drugs and homebrew to go into farming the land and small businesses.
Youths from Denglagu, Pompemeri, Gembogl, Womatne and Niglkande with their spiritual leaders also participated in the rally, initiated by youth leader Waks Por. it was hosted by Dangaul community. The purpose of the rally was to promote integral human development aspects of life and to care for the common good of all.
Parents, village elders and community leaders gave overwhelming support by handing over to their children (youths) pieces of land, working tools and seedlings as a sign blessing and traditional power and authority; giving them hope of prosperity and a better life.
The young people vowed to abandone their old ways in instead embrace Christian values and promote a better quality life through agriculture and small income generating activities. Active participation, willingness and cooperation enables unity, hospitality and mutual respect amongst individuals of different denominations, clans and communities. Pastors from different churches including Catholic and Lutheran were given opportunities to provide spiritual inputs, guidance and direction.

Sr Marriane Kolkia, director of Mercy Works PNG speaking to the youths before handing over seedlings and farming equipment to them.

Pastors who ministered at the rally came from as far as Port Moresby and Goroka, Eastern Highlands as an expression of spiritual support.
Development partners included the Department of Primary Industry and Mercy Works PNG. As development partners with the youth leaders, they aim to align with existing and potential capacities of the youths and communityies.
People now have an improved mindset and are actively engaged in their own development; youth/community members have higher self-esteem, an improved standard of living, and there is a reduced use of drugs and alcohol by community members.
This was something Mercy Works PNG has been advocation under its slogan, “Leave no one behind.”
The youths openly renounced their evil conducts, drugs, homebrew and unnecessary noise in the villages. They pledged to go to churches, change their attitudes and mind their business on the land.
Everyone agreed that there would be zero drug and homebrew consumption in the Dangaugl, Engregl, Dimbambugl and Wirere villages. Anyone found consuming these drugs will be forcefully evicted from the village.
They decided that that from 2021 and onwards life would never be the same as before. They urged other neighboring tribes of Kuglkane and Mauglak including other Inaugl communities to take up the challenges and change for the better.
No one will change us, we will change ourselves and be the agent of change for other districts and provinces to change.
To take back PNG, we have to take back ourselves, our land, our children and our resources. Changes starts with us.
God bless us all.