This week, a high-level delegation from the Republic of Vanuatu is in the country to pick up ideas in health to further progress its public health services in the country.
The team comprises of;
Vanuatu Minister of Health РMr John Still Tariqwetu, Acting Director General of Health РDr Santus Wari, Director Corporate and Planning РDr Samuel Tapo Posikai, First Political Advisor РMr Keithson Liu, Foreign Affairs Attach̩ РMr Ridley Joseph.
The team is in the country and visited the Department of Health and the Health Ministry, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby General Hospital and had a tour of the state of the art Cancer Facility under construction at Port Moresby General Hospital. And, at the same time, the team visited two of its postgraduate training registrars based here at Port Moresby General Hospital, one – Dr Geraldine Nimissa- who is first Vanuatu female surgeon trainee at to be trained for Vanuatu, and second, Dr. Nilani Tari – who is a Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery trainee who will be the first surgeon in this field for the Republic of Vanuatu and the second female for the entire Pasifika outside of Australia and New Zealand.
The entire visiting team visited Dr. Nilani Tari at the consultation clinic during the lunch hour today .
The team was very much welcomed, and in addendum to what was discussed at the School of Medicine and Health Sciences which will be a Stand Alone University in 2026, as Chief ENT Surgery and Otorhinolaryngology Stand In-Charge for the Medical School, I told the visiting Team that postgraduate training in Medicine outside of Australia and New Zealand is Papua New Guinea. And, the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Papua New Guinea school stands far tall in postgraduate in medicine in the Pacifika region.
And, it was not wrong for the Republic of Vanuatu who gained its Independence from the British and French in 1980 to seek help and assistance from the big brother – Papua New Guinea.
Dr. Nilani Tari who had already told the visiting team of her postgraduate training experiences thus far, and further supportive comments from Dr Geraldine Nimissa – the first female surgeon trainee, the Republic of Vanuatu visiting team will continue to sent its postgraduate candidates at the new Stand-alone Medical University going forward and strengthening the Melanesian Alliance Partnership and Collaboration between two countries.
Last week, saw the first postgraduate candidate in Otorhinolaryngology from the Kingdom of Tonga graduate with a postgraduate certificate in this field ever for the Kingdom in Dr. Siosifa Teumohenga. He is now doing his Part 1 Master of Medicine now and the doctor is on the way to becoming the first Otorhinolaryngology Head & Neck Surgeon for the Kingdom of Tonga. From Dr Teumohenga, “training here is tough, and with the wide range of clinical diseases supported by wide ranging surgical skill set and medical expertise here, I have found the right niche to do postgraduate training in this field”.
Also, in three years time, the second Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery trainee from Solomon Islands who will complete his postgraduate training – Dr. Philip Komasi said, “my other countryman did not return home to serve our people back at Honiara, I hope to finish studies and be the first Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgeon to be based in Solomon Islands”.
The visiting team further requested the Otorhinolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery Discipline here to help assist setup in their country and we agreed to this without objection.
The School of Medicine & Health Sciences, University of Papua New Guinea stands ready to develop the health human resource for its people and the Pacifica Region. And, the Department of Health and the Health Ministry stands ready to help its Pasifika brothers and sisters.