PNG - Medical Equipment Management Project (MEMP)
Noel was 6 weeks into a 9 week placement as a visiting Biomedical Engineering Technician with the AusAID funded Medical Equipment Management Project (MEMP) when he wrote the following paragraphs. He was employed by Flinders Consulting, who have collaborated with Flinders Biomedical Engineering on previous ventures:
On the 31/8/03 Noel wrote:
I have had the privilege of travelling to Papua New Guinea and working alongside the local biomedical technicians at six of the eight provincial hospitals on my list so far. What an adventure it has been!
 Port Moresby |
A bit of background. The Medical Equipment Management Project commenced in January 1999 and has trained biomedical technicians and built biomedical workshops at the 19 Provincial Hospitals, among other things. The project will finish at the end of 2003 and so I will be the last technician to visit these sites under this project. My role is to encourage the local technicians in their role, to consolidate inventory management and work reporting practices, assist with in-service user training and provide practical hands on assistance with equipment repairs and maintenance.
When in Australia it is difficult to know what to expect at a foreign destination. This is particularly so in PNG where there are some 1000 tribes that speak over 750 different languages, in a land mass where transportation and communication can be problematic. An expatriate who has lived and worked in PNG for a number of years passed on to me the following advice “Expect nothing, and you won’t be disappointed”.
I was last here 21 years ago; PNG had recently gained its independence from Australia and had the feel of a vibrant new frontier; the currency was strong, the Highlands Highway was in good condition, and although there were some social problems, there was a general mood of optimism.
Today the situation has changed. Wealth is concentrated in the hands of an elite minority. The government is cash strapped and this is clearly reflected in the condition of all public infrastructure. The public hospitals and associated medical equipment are not exempt and from what I have observed if it were not for the Australian Taxpayer, via AusAID funded projects (such as MEMP), the situation would be quite untenable. With a few exceptions the mood is not optimistic now.
The Biomedical Technicians that I have worked with are a great bunch and they have the same needs as any group that are recently trained but with little experience. I found at times I was explaining fairly basic concepts and occasionally encouraging them to think of another option or just to "have a go". Sometimes they were afraid of making the equipment worse and then getting into trouble as a consequence.
 39th PNG annual medical symposium, Mt Hagen. Noel is in there somewhere... |
I have found it to be an immensely interesting experience to meet and work alongside the local technicians; they are a terrific group of people as are many of the other PNG people I have had the pleasure of meeting.
I didn’t know what to expect, I haven’t been disappointed and would do it all again.
Noel
P.S. Unusual signs are everywhere
 |
 |