It seems appropriate, when documenting the present stage of the National Catholic Health Service, to go back 100 to 150 years, and look at the Colonial Powers and their attitudes and their allegiance to Christianity.

Sir Hubert Murray, Lieutenant Governor, of British New Guinea in 1912 wrote of the missionaries in these words: “The civilizing influence which the mere presence of a missionary has upon the native population, and the fact that all the schools in Papua are conducted by missionaries, together with the devoted assistance which the missions have given in combating the epidemics constitute, in my opinion, a sufficient answer to the contention that the missionaries have done no good”.

“I think not only that the missions do good, but that they are absolutely necessary to the development of backward races.”

With this positive encouragement and support from the colonial powers, the Christian Missions spread rapidly across the country bringing the Good News of the Gospel to the people, and at the same time performing works of mercy on all fronts, especially in times of epidemic’s, caring for the orphans and the sick.

There is convincing evidence that the Churches did work together in many areas, although this is very often contested.

The first Missionary Health Conference was therefore held in Raboul, ENB from the 20^th June to 11 July 1927.

There were fourteen missionaries present, representing the Sacred Heart Fathers and the Sisters, Divine Word Missionaries from Madang, Methodist, Lutheran and Anglican Missions.

These highly motivated missionaries convinced the two Government Officers who attended the meeting, Dr. R.W. Cilento and Mr. H.C. Cardew, Commissioner for Native Affairs, that their service to the people was of immense importance.

These Officers in turn reported this to Canberra, to the House of Representatives.

History tells us that PNG attracted not only missionaries and people in search of gold, but also Researchers such as the famous Dr. Robert Koch, a German Doctor, who is renowned for detecting the Tuberculosis Bacilli.

Dr. Koch arrived in PNG on the 29.12 1899 and stayed for six months. He was mainly interested in malaria and he did extensive research on “ Black- Water Fever” which was very prevalent at that stage.

However, since he worked for a German Company, he found in the sick Chinese and Malay laborers, the presence of TB.

TB has become one of the major Health issues in PNG, the Department of Health is battling with today.

In the mid 1880 ‘s and in 1927 an epidemic of smallpox swept through much of the country and spread to parts of West New Britain. Missionaries became vaccinators and cares for the people. They vaccinated 30,000 people, risking their own lives. We know today, how dangerous and contagious smallpox are.

According to documents, Nurse Augusta Hertzer, was the first trained nurse working in Papua New Guinea. She arrived from Germany on the ship “Isabel” in 1891. She died 16^th May 1934 aged 78 and is buried at Raboul.

The first recognized Midwife in PNG is Sr. Barnaba Zirkel S.SP.S. from Germany,  She started work in 1905 at Alexishafen, Madang. She spent about 40 years in Alexishafen and died during the second World War on the Dores Maru which was accidentally bombed by the American during the war.

The second World War destroyed much of what had been established by the different Missions.  However, after the war, new missionaries and nurses from overseas arrived in great numbers and they truly established a network of cooperation. New hospitals, training schools for Nurses and Aid Post orderly sprang up, in order to serve the local people better.

For the Catholic Church, the Nurses Training Schools in Vunapope, ENB lemacot N.I.re-opened in 1951 and St. Gerard’s  training school in Veifa, run by the O.L.S.H Sisters in the C.P. became of immense importance. At the same time the Government Schools trained local doctors, at the Medical Faculty in Port Moresby, and trained nurses, in almost all major Hospitals in the country.

After the second World War the Hansen’s Disease, Leprosy, became a serious problem in the country. Centre’s were opened across the country by the Department of Health and the Churches, to care for these often very disabled and deformed patients. The Catholic Church had a large Centre in Aitape W.S.P and Jampu in Enga Province. Yampu was opened in 1956, to give relief to the over crowed Wabag Hospital.

Wards were being built from bush material, 16 wards in all, where about 400 patients were admitted, many with advanced marked deformities and destruction of hands and feet. By 1960 the number of patients had increased to 576.

Sr Ewaldine S.SP.S. an American nurse and Sr. Maurentia S.SP.S. a German   nurse, who was expelled from China, started work in Yampu in 1958.

These were truly devoted missionaries, who worked with local trained Orderlies for many years. Yampu provided later in the 1970 a well set up Occupational therapy department, were clients could learn weaving and other cores to sustain their living. Quite a few Sisters, who were trained Nurses, and Brothers from Germany, the Netherlands and Australia worked in these two Catholic Lepra Hospitals, as they were called then.

In Aitape Dr. Sr. Peter Baptist Ogden, F.M.D.M. took charge of the Lepra Patients and performed corrective surgery.  Aitape also had a very well set up Physiotherapy Department in 1967, since physio is an important aspect of reconstructive surgery.

Missionaries became inventive and instead of going on horseback, as was previously the case, they used one engine planes to be faster, bringing supplies for new buildings and supplies for the missionaries to remote air strips build by, and with the people. Especially the Divine Word Missions, who acquired a few of Cessna’s one engine planes, were the Bishop, Rev. Leo Arkfeld SVD, became the main pilot for the very remote areas of East and West Sepik. Many a patient, esp. mothers in labor, were brought to main stations and Hospitals where appropriate care could be given, and many lives were saved in this way.

Brother Pilots from Germany, Australia and America served the large mountain areas with all necessary supplies. Isolation and remoteness were thus greatly reduced.

In reading the extensive historical documentation of Church Health Service in PNG, one becomes aware of the main Health concerns the Territory and its people were faced with.

Malaria, Yaws, Small Pox, Leprosy, Tuberculosis, and since 1987 the HIV epidemic. In all these epidemic’s the Churches were at the forefront, supporting the Australian Government, in care, vaccinations, and treatment.

It is does not surprising, that before and after Independence, the Government valued the health care provided by the Churches and is supporting them financially.

The Catholic Church however became the largest service provider in Health, next to the Department of Health. Many overseas doctors and nurses served for several years in Hospitals and Health Centre’s across the country and thus, health education, vaccination, elimination of Yaws and Filaria’s, Training of Nurses and AID Post Orderlies, like at Mount Ambra in Western Highlands, greatly increased Health Patrols, Care and treatment of the local population.

When HIV was detected in PNG in 1987, the Catholic Church has been again at the forefront, providing counseling, testing and treatment for over 10,000 people. The program of prevention of ‘HIV from Mother to Baby’ was officially launched by the Catholic Church, on Independence Day in 2003.

It appears also that the Hanssen’ s disease, with the appropriate treatment, and advanced new treatment that can be controlled and eradicated. Although today we still have sporadic cases.

Cases of Yaws and Filaria are seen very seldom now, although in very remote areas of West Sepik, they still can be found.