The Team
About Goroka Base Hospital
About Mt. Hagen Hospital
You can also ask your local library if they stock footage of 'Nurse TV'.
Episode 21, "Gloves, Sheets, Basic Sanitation?" is a feature story about Marie Treloar, co-founder of Highlands Foundation, and the Highlands Foundation's work in Papua New Guinea. Nurse TV provides footage to Universities,
Tafe colleges and other institutions to purchase for their
libraries for use as an educational tool. Just go to Nurse TV
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A little bit about us...
Click on links to take you directly to each team member:
PRESIDENT: Marie Treloar
VICE PRESIDENT: Dr. David Laurie
TREASURER: Ian Hoffman
SECRETARY: Kate Laurie
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PRESIDENT: Marie Treloar
Profession: Midwife, Nurse, Public Health Consultant
I was born in India and migrated to Australia at the age of 10. With over 13 years of nursing and midwifery experience in Australia, a desire to experience life as a volunteer nurse/midwife in a third world setting was about to become a reality. My first trip to Goroka in the Eastern Highlands of Papua New Guinea was in May 2003 with Dr Hoffman, his wife Wendy and two of my friends Nicole (midwifery student, nurse) and Nadia (nurse). After hearing of Dr Hoffman’s voluntary trips as an O&G consultant to a nation that had devastatingly high maternal and infant mortality rates, it became apparent that there was also a shortage of nurses and midwives in the existing health care facilities. We paid our own way and took time off work to embark on a working holiday that was to impact on my career as a nurse/midwife and a humanitarian. By working along side PNG nurses and midwives in labor ward, special care nursery and general wards, it was challenging and confronting to practice with such limited resources on hand. As an Australian midwife and nurse, I became ever so grateful for the abundant resources available to us in Australia in delivering effective health care. However, as I saw women birthing in PNG with barely a sheet or anything to wrap their babies in, I was moved to make a commitment to take the plight of these women back to Australia. After witnessing women at the brink of death in childbirth and some neonatal deaths which could have been prevented if resources were at hand, the obvious step was to get together with like minded people and help to make a difference in the remote highlands of Papua New Guinea. The Highlands Foundation was birthed in 2004 and I was amazed as I started sharing stories of the conditions in PNG, how many generous Australians wanted to assist in this humanitarian venture. The needs were simple: Expertise, Resources and Education for PNG health workers on evidenced based practice. I have consecutively visited Png 5 years in a row for 3-4 week placements and have had the satisfaction of following through the delivery and distribution of four 20 ft containers filled with generously donated medical and hospital supplies which our teams back in Australia have tirelessly gathered and hand packed from Melbourne and Sydney. Since 2003 we have also had a steady flow of Australian doctors, nurses, midwives, medical students, nursing and midwifery students who have volunteered their time and resources to assist in health care of the highlands. An average of 4 teams of 5 volunteers each year have visited the highlands and assisted in health care, making a total of over 60 volunteers in the last 5 years. Added to this we have coordinated and supported sponsorship of two groups of 3 PNG nurses and midwives to attend Australian based conferences and work related experiences in Australia to empower and motivate local health workers to improve their services. The Highlands experience has given me a passion for Public Health Development and hence I was able to complete a Masters in Public Health at Melbourne University at the end of 2006. PNG now feels like my second home. I feel very comfortable during my times there, and I take joy in taking new volunteers with me so that they too can experience the beauty and warmth of the country, people and culture that wins your heart over. PNG staff and patients are so grateful for our involvement and are so welcoming of the assistance we provide that volunteer work in the Highlands is truly rewarding personally and professionally for all our volunteers. PNG health services are reporting better working conditions, reduced mortality and morbidity rates since the assistance given by the Highlands Foundation.
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VICE PRESIDENT: Dr. David Laurie
PROFESSION: Obstetrician/ Gynaecologist
My first exposure to PNG was my appointment, in 1972, as Rotating Medical Registrar from the Royal Melbourne Hospital to Nonga Base Hospital, Rabaul in East New Britain. Arriving in Moresby, I was blasted by the humidity as I left the plane; and then the connecting flight failed to materialize…nothing changes!
After 6 months of a wonderful new culture, exotic diseases, mercy flights, volcanoes, snorkeling, amazing tropical fruit…i.e. paradise! The country was in my blood! While there, I actually delivered 3 babies, and that got in my blood too.
After finishing my job, I set off around the country. Wandering through the labour ward in Mt. Hagen, I came across young Dr. Hoffman (we’d been through Med School together), a partly delivered baby in one hand and a textbook in the other!
On coming back to Melbourne, I applied for an Obstetric and Gynaecology position at The Royal Women’s Hospital and started there in 1973. In 1974, as a Senior House Officer, I went back to Rabaul, this time with Sue (my now wife), as the O & G Consultant, and spent a further month beside Talili Bay.
My own children were born and the years passed. We were on the point of holidaying in Rabaul in 1994 when the town disappeared under volcanic ash, a tragic event in the Pacific’s most beautiful harbour.
Around 2003 I met up with an older, wiser and very much grayer Dr Hoffman at a conference, and heard that he had started going up to the highlands of PNG again. “Why don’t you come?” he asked me. “Why not indeed!” I replied.
So in 2004 we went and worked in Goroka (Eastern Highlands Province), traveling to Rabaul and Madang, and in 2005 I return and spent 2 weeks in Mt. Hagen (Western Highlands Province). The Highlands Foundation was established, and I have enjoyed the challenge of sourcing and packing appropriate and useful medical equipment, linen, beds, textbooks, wheelchairs, surgical instruments, etc into 3 (soon to be 4) shipping containers which were successfully sent to Goroka and Mt. Hagen.
After a lifetime of running a private practice, I retired from my private obstetric practice in 20… continuing with the Gynae practice and traveling around the country doing short-term locums. With my free time, I enjoy working on my country property, getting my hands dirty in the garden, and of course fulfilling my role as Vice- President of the Highlands Foundation.
In August 2007 I will complete a short course through the Burnet Institute run in partnership with Monash University's Centre for Health Economics, which focuses on tools for allocating health resources in developing countries.
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TREASURER: Ian Hoffman
PROFESSION: Obstetrician/ Gynaecologist
Bendigo, Victoria
I first went to PNG as a young Resident Medical Officer for two years in 1971/1972. Wendy and I had been married to two weeks when we departed for PNG in late January of 1971. I worked at Port Moresby, Goroka and Mount Hagen hospitals. Wendy was a high school teacher at the respective High Schools. I enjoyed the challenge of obstetrics and gynaecology in PNG so much that I decided to train as a specialist when I returned to Australia.
Over the years we've had three children -- Catherine, Andrew and Paul -- who are now all grown up.
In 2002 I retired from private practice in Bendigo Victoria. I continue to work in the public sector at the Bendigo Hospital and for the first time in many years I had some spare time on my hands. Both Goroka and Mount Hagen hospitals were without a specialist Obstetrician Gynaecologist and over the last few years I've been up several times to each of these hospitals to provide short-term cover.
The Highlands of PNG is an easy place to fall in love with. The people are friendly and the lush, topical mountainous countryside is magnificent. |
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SECRETARY: Kate Laurie
PROFESSION: Paediatric Nurse
My love and interest in the health of those living in developing countries began at the young age of 11. On a family trip to Kenya, Tanzania and Botswana, I saw raw poverty first hand.
I completed my Bachelor of Nursing in 2003 at Latrobe University and after working at the Royal Children’s Hospital for two years, I went on to complete my Postgraduate diploma in Advanced Clinical Nursing, specialising in Paediatrics.
I first travelled to Goroka, PNG just after finishing my undergraduate studies. I traveled with Dr. Hoffman, but stayed alone in the transit house within the staff quarters on the hospital grounds. During this first trip, I performed a preliminary audit on the needs of the wards and collected ‘wish lists’ from each specialty area. Soon after my return, the Highlands Foundation was established and I was elected as Secretary.
Since then I have returned to PNG to supervise the unloading and distribution of the 2nd container sent to Goroka Base Hospital by the Highlands Foundation, and with my experience in Paediatrics, spent some time nursing in Special Care Nursery. I continue to work at the Royal Children’s Hospital and this year I begin my journey in undertaking a Masters of Public Health through the University of Melbourne, focusing on International Health. Widely traveled to countries including Africa, India, China, Nepal, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, Europe and Canada, I hope to return to PNG in the not so distant future, to further encourage, support and educate the local nurses to constantly improve the quality of health care delivery and instill a sense of pride and achievement amongst the staff.
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About Goroka Base Hospital |
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The Goroka Base Hospital was built in 1969 but is deteriorating due to the lack of maintenance and funds. It is a primary care facility of 265 beds and services a population of approximately 450,000 people. There is no switchboard, limited pathology testing, and very limited supply of linen to mention just a few issues. The hospital runs out of oxygen, often has no electricity and/or water. There are currently no ongoing staff training or education programs.
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Mt Hagen is the major town of the Western Highlands Province. "The Mt Hagen General Hospital is a public base referral hospital for the Highlands provinces of Southern Highlands, Chimbu, Enga, Eastern Highlands and Western Highlands Provinces. The Hospital is mandated to serve as a provincial hospital to the Western Highlands Province with a total population of about 1/2 million people, and serve as the base referral hospital to the other 4 Highlands Provinces". Mt Hagen General Hospital Annual Report 2004.
In 2004, there were 309 beds. The Hospital is continuing to be upgraded and new OT and surgical ward is being built, so perhaps these figures aren't the most up to date.
Read more.
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