Helping The Highlanders Becomes A Labour Of Love
The Age
Saturday October 23, 2004
Specialist nurses are winning over people in the Eastern Highlands of Papua New Guinea, writes Di Gatehouse.
When Bendigo midwife Marie Treloar accepted an invitation for a working holiday in Papua New Guinea last year, little did she know how much it would change her life and her appreciation of her profession."I am blessed with having a profession that I can take to any part of the world, especially the Third World where, in a small amount of time, you can achieve so much," says Ms Treloar (below), who works in the Women's Health Unit at the Bendigo Hospital.Her initial trip to Goroka in the Eastern Highlands was in May last year after Dr Ian Hoffman, a well-known Bendigo obstetrician/gynaecologist, suggested that she and two other registered nurses accompany him on one of his regular visits there.Dr Hoffman is retired from private practice and now dedicates his time to travelling to Goroka three times a year as a consultant on a volunteer basis."Remote areas don't have a consultant to work under, so they (PNG doctors) can't complete their training specialty," explains Ms Treloar.After gaining the approval of the Director of Nursing at Goroka Base Hospital, registering with the Nursing Council of Papua New Guinea, the team took leave without pay from their jobs. Like many visitors, Ms Treloar found herself succumbing to the beauty of the highlands and the warmth and hospitality of the indigenous people. But on the medical front, particularly in maternal and child health, it was grim."I was surprised that a country so close to Australia would be experiencing such poor health outcomes," says Ms Treloar, who quotes maternal deaths in PNG as 470 per 100,000 births compared to the Australian rate of 12 per 100,000. "Infant mortality is huge," she says.Ms Treloar found the Goroka hospital in poor condition, with archaic equipment, understaffed and general nurses having to do medical procedures due to lack of medical staff."They are dealing with all sorts of obstetric emergencies that we don't have to deal with here. Here problems are stopped in their tracks before they become emergencies," says Ms Treloar."The hospital had big areas with curtains separating the women in labour. They had just one sheet for their entire labour and they were by themselves as no one was allowed in to give them support. The conditions were terrible for women to birth their children." But Ms Treloar says the attitude of the highlanders made up for a lot."They thank you for all you've done for them. They accept life and death so much more easily and they deal with it in a healthy way. They appreciate the kindness you give them," she says.Born in India but living in Australia since she was 10, Ms Treloar is not a woman who shirks a challenge. "I don't like to look at the world and say 'Isn't it terrible'? I look at it and say 'What can I do about it?' It is important not to sit back and complain, but to get out there and do something," she says.Ms Treloar soon found herself in a much-appreciated teaching and organising role, not only encouraging midwives to play a greater hands-on role with women in labour but encouraging and organising improved inter-departmental communication within the hospital.On her return to Australia, she and like-minded people organised a shipping container of equipment specific to the needs of the Goroka hospital and other health centres and hospitals in the region. It included everything from an incubator and ultrasound machines to theatre and office supplies.However, work had to be done to the hospital, particularly the maternity unit, and this meant successfully approaching the expatriate and business communities in Goroka."We would say things like, 'Do you know that we have lost three babies in the last 24 hours and we have only been here 48'," says Miss Treloar, recalling how the blunt approach worked. "If that means exposing the tragedy that is happening in their community, then that's what it takes."Miss Treloar received a positive reaction, starting with local architects giving their time free to plan and supervise renovations that have now started. The work continues under the guidance of Rotary Goroka and Rotary Clubs of Victoria.Together with Dr Hoffman, Dr David Laurie and his daughter, Kate, also a nurse, Miss Treloar has helped form the Highland Foundation to continue the work. She organises volunteer teams of midwives, nurses and students to visit Goroka at least three times a year."The students develop good assessment skills - there is no technology," says Ms Treloar, explaining that the teams come back refreshed and with a new outlook.In August, three midwives from Goroka came to Australia to spend time at the Australian Midwifery Expo in Adelaide and in maternal and child-care facilities here. An active member of the Australian College of Midwives, Ms Treloar started her own nursing training as part of the first intake for the diploma of applied science (general nursing) La Trobe (Bendigo) University in 1987. She followed this with a batchelor of health science and graduate diploma in midwifery. Her work in PNG has encouraged her to undertake a masters in public health (international health stream) at Melbourne University.
© 2004 The Age