There is an immediate vacancy for an obstetrician and gynaecologist for the hospital. Due to the nationwide shortage of obstetrician and gynaecologist which may continue for the next ten years or so, we are now seeking to employ specialists from overseas.

Here are some facts about the place and the opportunity for anyone out there who is interested.

Goroka Hospital is one of the major teaching hospitals of the country and is situated in the heart of the highlands region. The township has a population of about 60,000 mostly nationals but a good number from other nationalities such as, Europeans, Asians, Americans, Africans, Australians and the Pacific Islanders also live here. Majority of the provinces 500,000 people live in the villages, scattered all over the province, similar to other provinces in the nation. Goroka is the headquarters of the Coffee Industry Corporation (www.coffeecorp.org.pg) with many well established different processing and exporting companies and celebrates a coffee show in May every year, a major tourist attraction. It also has a modern shopping facilities and a good local market where a choice of local food products are sold daily. It has a good international school (adapting NSW, Australian Syllabus) for children from kindergarten to senior high schools for the well off and expatriate communities (www.iea.ac.pg). There is also the New Tribes International School adapting the American Syllabus and academic year.

Other important National Institutions are the Institute of Medical Research (www.imr.org.pg) which is situated within the hospitals vicinity, the National Sports Institute, the Coffee Research Institute and the University of Goroka (www.uog.ac.pg)
We also have the head quarters of the New Tribes Mission (www.ntm.org/pg) and Summer Institute of Linguistics (www.sil.org.pg); all American Missionaries who translate the Christian Bible into to the 800 different languages of the country.

GOROKA HOSPITAL.

It is a 310 bed hospital with all major disciplines such as medicine, surgery, paediatrics and obstetric and gynaecology. Other minor disciplines are anaesthesia, ophthalmology, dentistry, psychiatry and ear, nose and throat. We have excellent support services such as physiotherapy, pathology, radiology and pharmacy divisions.

Because of the majority of the population is scattered everywhere in the province in isolated hamlets in tribes and clans we also have the ambulatory rural outreach team who are responsible for the care of these people and have unique programs to reach the outback.

The disease pattern of the highlands female population is quite unique. We have the highest pelvic inflammatory diseases and cervical cancer admissions rate in the nation. Obstetric care and management is quite challenging in our setting given the type of health care delivery system in such a diverse socio-cultural settings. This may contribute to the high maternal mortality rate of about 860 deaths per 100,000 life births and maybe one of the worst in the world. (2006 report)

The obstetric and gynaecology ward has 60 beds and 8 delivery suits. About 6,500 inpatients and 4000 deliveries are respectively admitted and done annually.
We have a national specialist with three (3) other registrars and four (interns) residents who manage the units. This specialist will be leaving for Melbourne, Australia early next year and there is no replacement in the foreseeable future. This happens to be the only specialist who is responsible for the entire highlands region with a combined population of about 3 million, half the country’s population of 6 million people. Beside the burden of looking after the female population of the entire highlands region the national specialist is affiliated to the University of Goroka and teaches postgraduate nursing students as well as post graduate medical officers of the University of Papua New Guinea.

THE POSITION.

The vacant positions (two positions, GGHRH004 and GGHMS005) are the hospital specialist positions and we are currently liaising with the department of health and personnel management to endorse our proposal to employ expatriate consultants from overseas against these positions because of the urgency and the nature of the situation we are facing at the moment.

The person or two we are seeking for consultant specialists will oversee the entire clinical management of inpatients in the hospital including operative surgical services, training of medical officers (affiliate to both universities), chief advisor to the hospital board, researches into all aspect of maternal (clinical and public) health and of course maybe required by the other four highlands government hospitals for service delivery as well as training.

The local salary is not attractive compared to the international standard and is not a place to make one a fortune. However, compared to most local salaries it is more and together with the international monetary allowances (IMA) it would be more than enough to get by comfortably.
Secure and reasonable accommodation is provided within the expatriate compound or section free of charge except for one’s own electricity, water and sewage bills which is reasonable. Hospital transport is provided during working hours. The hospital is also responsible for the leave fares to the country of origin and back for its employee, the spouse and children under the age of 18 after every24 months of continuous service.

So if you are enthusiastic about working in a developing country where lots of challenges are at your doorsteps every now and then, do get in touch with me +675 731 2101,
facsimile +675 732 1081 or email at ggh@datec.net.pg or info@ggh.org.pg

Thank you,

DR.JOSEPH APA
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER