Mt Hagen Provincial Hospital hosted a series of Basic Emergency Care (BEC) courses from August 6th to 14th, aimed at strengthening emergency healthcare delivery across PNG. 

The program featured two BEC provider courses and a Training-of-Trainers (ToT) session, certifying a total of 44 healthcare workers including nurses, community health workers, doctors and health extension officers (HEOs). The first batch of 25 participants representing PHAs from across the highlands region, graduated a week ago. The second cohort, comprising 19 clinicians from the Western Highlands Provincial Health Authority, completed their four-day training and graduated last Thursday.

WHPHA’s acting Chief Executive Officer Jane Holden commended the participants for their commitment and emphasized the importance of expanding the program. “This is not the end of the program as we have a major task ahead of us,” she said. She praised the newly trained ToTs, calling them the frontliners of the initiative, and encouraged them to apply their skills to save lives.

“Continuous learning in the workplace is vital as it not only empowers individuals but also enhances the overall quality and effectiveness of our organization. We thank our participants and trainers for their commitment to growth and excellence,” she said.

Emergency Department head Dr John Junior McKup expressed gratitude to Dr Colin Banks for bringing the BEC course to PNG. He described the training as a standardized approach to emergency care and urged participants to use their new skills to become safe and fair practitioners. “When you go, you must have a structured approach on how you do it, to be a safe clinician wherever you are,” he said.

Dr Jacklyn John, an emergency physician at Mt Hagen Provincial Hospital and a local BEC trainer, said it was exciting to deliver the training to clinicians from district facilities. She noted that WHPHA, being a central hub in the upper highlands, often receives more casualties due to migration and patient choice. “Training a lot of clinicians from district facilities is a dream come true,” she said. “It spreads emergency care understanding and capability to rural clinicians so they can provide basic care before patients reach the provincial hospital.”

Dr Goimba from the Southern Highlands PHA shared the long-term vision for the program, stating that the goal is to roll it out to districts across the country. “We want to cover all healthcare providers so we can limit the number of deaths and complications,” she said.

Meanwhile, each participating province also received a Laerdal Emergency Learning Laboratory equipment pack, donated by Laerdal Global Health, containing tools to run future BEC courses for up to 10 participants.

The training was supported by an Australian government-funded consortium, the Regional Emergency and Critical Care Systems Initiative (RECSI).

With newly certified trainers now ready to lead future sessions, the BEC program will become a foundation of emergency healthcare in PNG, empowering clinicians, saving lives, and building a stronger health network nationwide.