The Papua New Guinea Labor Mobility Unit (PNGLMU) under the Department of Treasury has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Pacific International Hospital (PIH) to deliver affordable, accessible, and high-quality visa medical services for Papua New Guineans participating in the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) Scheme and the Recognized Seasonal Employer (RSE) Scheme of New Zealand.
This partnership marks a major milestone in improving PNG’s labor mobility processes, ensuring that workers can complete their visa medicals quickly, confidently, and at a lower cost.
Under the new arrangement, PIH will provide discounted visa medical packages, offer services through multiple regional centers, and deliver dedicated medical support through its accredited panel doctors.
Visa medical services will be available at PIH branches in Port Moresby (Waigani and 3 Mile), Mt Hagen, Lae, Kokopo, and Goroka, significantly reducing travel and accommodation costs for workers who previously had to travel to the capital for their medical checks.
“This partnership represents a practical step towards empowering our citizens with the
medical support they need to access job opportunities abroad. It ensures that every worker can complete their visa medicals quickly, affordably, and confidently,” said Hakaua Harry, Director, PNG Labor Mobility Unit.
“As we move toward our 2025 mobilization target of 8,000 workers, these kinds of partnerships are essential to making the labor mobility process faster, safer, and more efficient for everyone involved.”
Through this collaboration, PIH will have the capacity to conduct over 60 visa medicals per day across its network and can scale up operations during peak recruitment drives or large deployment periods. The hospital will also provide specialized pre-screening services to help identify potential health issues early, supporting better visa success rates and worker readiness.
To further streamline the process, PIH will establish an imprest account to facilitate partial or full payment of visa medical fees. This account will simplify coordination between candidates, sponsors, and recruitment hubs, ensuring faster service delivery and reduced administrative delays.
Col. Sandeep Shaligram, CEO of Pacific International Hospital, emphasized the importance of the partnership:
“We are proud to support PNG’s labor mobility initiatives by offering timely, affordable, and high standard medical services. This partnership will reduce costs and improve service efficiency, helping more Papua New Guineans access overseas employment opportunities.”
Secretary for the Department of Treasury, Andrew Oaeke, welcomed the partnership as a reflection of the Government’s broader commitment to economic diversification and job creation:
“This MoU exemplifies our whole-of-government approach to strengthening labor mobility systems. It aligns with our national goal of mobilizing 8,000 workers by 2025, not just in numbers, but in quality. Every worker must be well prepared, well-supported, and represent the best of Papua New Guinea abroad. By decentralizing visa medical services, we are improving access, reducing costs, and ensuring that the benefits of labor mobility reach all provinces and districts. Treasury remains committed to transparency, accountability, and sound governance in this program, and we commend the LMU and PIH for this milestone achievement.”
The agreement will remain valid for two years, with a joint review every six months to assess performance, address evolving needs, and support continuous service improvement.
This partnership supports the PNG Government’s goal of enhancing access, affordability, and efficiency in overseas employment services, enabling more Papua New Guineans to benefit from international work opportunities and contribute to the nation’s economic growth.