In the heart of Papua New Guinea’s rugged Gulf Province, Kanabea Health Centre stands as a testament to resilience. Recently, Dr. Athanasius Kari, the Rural Health Development Director, and Nathan Maru, ICT Officer, from the National Catholic Church Health Services (NCCHS) in Port Moresby, made a grueling journey to reach this remote facility. Alongside Mr. Robert Miakore, Health Manager for the CCHS of Kerema Diocese, they embarked on a mission to assess the state of the health center and connect with the health workers who work tirelessly to keep the facility operational, despite overwhelming challenges.
(Kanabea Health Center in the long building with brown roof.)
Their journey to Kanabea was nothing short of epic, taking them three days through steep mountain trails, dense forests, and along partially completed stretches of the new Connect PNG Highway. “We climbed steep slopes, sometimes using both our hands and feet,” said Nathan, recalling the intense physical demands of the trek. But the team’s determination was unshakable – they knew the health workers and community were eagerly awaiting their arrival.
Upon reaching Kanabea, the team was met with warmth and gratitude from the Kamea people, who had never seen a team from the National CCHS Office in Port Moresby, let alone a doctor who had walked to visit them. The health workers, nurses, and community health workers had been holding the center together despite a critical lack of medicine, equipment, and the resources needed to address even basic health issues. For years, the staff had cared for patients, delivered babies, and treated injuries under challenging circumstances, often with only the bare minimum.
The Kanabea Health Centre has a rich history, pioneered by the early efforts of the Melbourne Overseas Mission and the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Cluny. In 1968, Melbourne’s Archbishop, Cardinal Dr. Knox, set a new path by involving the Melbourne Diocese in missionary work, enabling volunteer priests to travel to PNG and Kanabea to evangelize and share the Gospel. Among the first three expatriate priests to arrive was Fr. Maurice Adams. Driven by his commitment to the community, he pursued medical training at the then Papuan Medical College (now UPNG School of Medicine and Health Sciences) to serve Kanabea as a priest and a practicing doctor.
(Health Manager for CCHS of Kerema Diocese Mr. Robert Miakore addressed the locals from Kanabea about the reason for the visit to the health center.)
Through the dedication of Fr. Maurice Adams and many other religious workers, the Kanabea Rural Hospital, as it was formerly known, was constructed. It opened its doors in 1974, inaugurated by the Late Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare, becoming a vital lifeline for healthcare in this remote region. Today, the CCHS continues to operate Kanabea Health Centre, which was downgraded under National Health Services Standards but remains an essential resource. Serving over 35,000 people, the health center also manages 14 aid posts, 11 of which are currently government-owned, and remains a beacon of support for the surrounding communities.
During the supervisory visit, Dr. Kari and his team conducted a thorough assessment of Kanabea Health Centre, he also held antenatal clinics, and did inpatient rounds, as well as engaging with locals at the nearby market place. Like many remote health facilities, Kanabea Health Centre had been without essential medicines and vaccines since June due to delays in supply shipments and the lack of regular monthly flights into the area. This shortage led to a scale-down of the health services, impacting many people in the community.
(Dr Kari talking to pregnant women who came to the health center for their Antenatal Checks.)
Dr. Kari recalls conducting family tuberculosis screenings but feeling powerless to treat patients due to a shortage of anti-tuberculosis medications. Likewise, a patient with severe hypertension couldn’t receive the necessary medication as supplies had run out. Local Kamea women voiced the need for a resident doctor at the health center, along with improved infrastructure and equipment, as many women and infants suffer or even lose their lives due to childbirth complications. While these women attend antenatal clinics, they often opt for village-assisted childbirth over the health center’s services, citing privacy concerns in the delivery rooms, a reluctance to have male staff assist them, and the inability to bring sufficient food for their stay.
Sr. Beula Augustine of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Cluny, the Lab Technician overseeing diagnostic lab services at the health center, noted that the center had even built a proper waiting house with cooking and bathroom facilities for expectant mothers from distant areas. However, this shelter remains underutilized, highlighting the community's unique challenges. Dr. Kari emphasized that understanding local beliefs is vital to improving maternal care. He explained that “to encourage more health center births, we must create spaces that fit the needs of the Kamea people.”
(The shelves are empty with very little medicine supply at Kanabea Dispensary.)
Dr. Kari highlighted how understanding the unique health-seeking behaviors of different cultural groups, like the Kamea people, is crucial when planning health infrastructure and services. To improve health center-supervised deliveries and maternal and child health in Kanabea, he explained that the Catholic Church Health Services (CCHS) and its partners must develop birthing rooms specifically suited to the needs and preferences of the Kamea people. Dr. Kari added that family planning services should also be made accessible to high-risk couples, even within a faith-based framework. Although many Kamea women and their families attend antenatal clinics, few return for supervised deliveries at the health center, with only around 40% of clinic attendees opting for a facility-based birth. “We can incentivize supervised deliveries in health facilities, but we need to provide services tailored to the community’s needs if we hope to improve our health statistics,” Dr. Kari emphasized.
Dr. Kari also discussed the challenges with air medivac services in Kanabea, which currently prioritize obstetric emergencies, often excluding patients with severe trauma from violence. He stressed that all urgent cases requiring medevac should be prioritized equally, as there is no other way to transport patients from this isolated region of the Gulf Province. “If our goal is to provide health services with care and compassion, then we shouldn’t discriminate based on why patients seek help,” he said. One patient, a man suffering from multiple violence-inflicted injuries, awaited a medevac referral to a tertiary facility for critical care, including a blood transfusion and orthopedic surgery—services unavailable in Kanabea.
(Kanabea Health Workers and Dr Kari in Yellow shirt.)
The health workers and teachers stationed in Kanabea and Bema make countless sacrifices to serve their communities, often under harsh living conditions. Many endure housing that is poorly maintained and have limited access to essential services such as banking or reliable communication (Network connection). Often, these committed workers must journey on foot to Kerema or Lae to access such services. Dr. Kari noted that improving their living conditions and building better roads to these remote locations would not only enhance service delivery but also make it easier to attract and retain nurses and teachers who are vital to the health and education of rural areas.
The team’s journey covered vast distances by various means. They traveled by dinghy to Mamuro Village, then trekked three days to Kanabea. After five days at Kanabea, they continued another two days on foot to Bema Health Centre, then trekked another six hours to the Gulf-Morobe border. From there, they caught a vehicle to Lae, arriving after a grueling 10-hour road trip. In Lae, Sr. Knowledge Ndlovu and her team from the Diocese Health Office provided warm hospitality before the team returned to Port Moresby.
(Aging accommodations for health workers.)
After 18 days of travel, the team returned home, deeply impacted by the strength and dedication of the people they met. Dr. Kari’s visit reminded the community that they are not forgotten and that their voices are heard. The journey highlighted the urgent need for better support, resources, and infrastructure in Kanabea and other remote parts of PNG. Even in the face of hardship, the health workers continue to serve, providing a beacon of hope for the people of Kanabea and surrounding communities.
(Dr Kari, Mr Maru and Mr Miakore among the locals and their carriers upon arrival at the health center.)
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