TUH host PNG emergency clinicians as part of learning exchange

Two emergency clinicians from Papua New Guinea have spent the last week at Townsville University Hospital to learn how emergency care was delivered in the region.

Dr Ignatius Bolokon and registered nurse Keturah Iyano have been observing how emergency care was delivered at TUH alongside Dr Colin Banks and nurse educator Travis Cole.

It was part of the Australia Awards Fellowship Program, an initiative supported by the Australian Government through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Both Dr Bolokon and Ms Iyano completed workshops with other Pacific and Timorese emergency clinicians in Melbourne, followed by a week-long clinical observership in Townsville, and will then finish with a week-long observership in Cairns.

Dr Bolokon said he enjoyed his time at TUH.

“It was wonderful to observe within the hospital setting and learn a lot of new things,” Dr Bolokon said.

“The staff have been friendly and helpful, and they have given their time to answer any questions on how they deliver healthcare to patients.

“I have been particularly impressed with the integrated emergency systems in place at the hospital.

“Things like the electronic health record system, streamlined access to diagnostics, and the use of clear protocols and guidelines have been interesting to see, and hopefully, there are some elements of that I can take home.”

This was the first year the Townsville Hospital and Health Service had been involved with the program and the first time a group of emergency clinicians had been supported to visit Australia.

Dr Banks said the Townsville HHS benefited by building stronger professional relationships with clinicians in neighbouring countries.

“The Pacific Islands are our closest neighbours, and it makes sense for us to develop and foster those strong relationships,” Dr Banks said.

“It provides an invaluable opportunity for mutual learning and strengthens healthcare partnerships across the Pacific.

“Sharing our expertise while also gaining perspective from clinicians working in different settings benefits us all.”

Ms Iyano said the experience had been eye-opening to see how emergency nurses operate in Townsville.

“The level of available resources for hospitals in Australia compared to PNG is quite different, so it has been interesting to see how healthcare works with some of the equipment here,” Ms Iyano said.

“While we don’t have access to some resources, we have been able to work on things that we can use in PNG.

“We focused on areas like resuscitation structures, team leadership, and the development and application of policies and procedures.”

Mr Cole said the clinical relationships would extend beyond the visit.

“We are there to support them, and they are there to support us because at the end of the day, we are both trying to help our patients,” Mr Cole said.

“The communication channels between our health service and the Pacific have been open for more than 20 years.

“Through collaboration like this, we can further enhance each other’s ability to deliver high-quality healthcare to our patients.”