Mount Hagen General Hospital is the major referring hospital for the Highlands region. The hospital is in the process of being upgraded to Teaching Hospital status. As such it provides specialist services in obstetrics and gynaecology, general surgery, medicine and paediatrics. These speciality services consist of the pathology & laboratory, pharmacy, radiology department and physiotherapy. One full time consultant heads each medical speciality. In PNG there are only four national physiotherapists. Initially, there were some nationals sent overseas for physiotherapy training in New Zealand and out of 12 students, only two of them returned with diploma in physiotherapy. Currently, one is based in Port Moresby and one in Madang. In 2001, Callan Services for the Disables sent another two nationals to Fiji to study for a diploma in physiotherapy. They both returned to the country in 2003, and are currently completing their two years internship under the supervision of a VSO Physiotherapist in Lae, Angau Hospital, and a CordAid physiotherapist based in Wewak. Attempts have been made to send students overseas, largely to Australia. However, no one has ever graduated through these sponsorship projects. Few physiotherapy services exist in the country and where they do overseas therapists staff them.The school of Physiotherapy has been established in the Divine Word University in Madang in 2003. The first intakes of 2003 are currently in their third year and will hopefully graduate in early 2006 with a diploma in physiotherapy. This is well supported by VSO and currently two volunteers work in the department as teacher/trainers and head of department. Currently it is offering a Diploma course only, where part of which is to refer students to Hospitals where a Physiotherapy unit is operating. One of which is Hagen. It is anticipated that the volunteer will continue the links already established and contribute to the development of CBR (community based rehabilitation) and Physiotherapy services as they develop in the country.

CBR may be defined, according to three United Nation Agencies, ILO, UNESCO, and the WHO, as a “strategy within community development for the rehabilitation, equalization of opportunities, and social integration of all people with disabilities. CBR is implemented through the combined efforts of disabled people themselves, their families and communities, and the appropriate health, education, vocational and social services” (WHO, 1994)

Physiotherapy unit at Mount Hagen General Hospital