Quarterly Newsletter Oct-Dec 2022
Issue 14
Our Mission
Being called to follow the inspiration of the Gospel and the compassionate attitude of Jesus, we strive with conviction for excellence in all areas of training and nursing practice for the benefit of the community.
Our Vision
Catholic Church Health Services is an organisation whose members envision enhancing the quality of life of our people by providing a holistic approach to health care through trained, dedicated and compassionate staff.
Our Values
The Catholic Church recognises that training institutions, medical and nursing services are a continuation of the healing Ministry of Christ.
Therefore, our service will be comprehensive and holistic, embracing all people of our nation regardless of creed, colour or social status.
Catholic Church Health Services expects all of its personnel, regardless of whether they are paid or volunteers, to practice the values of:
- Integrity
- Justice
- Compassion
- Excellence
What's Inside
- CCHS PNG Observes the World AIDS Day
- Clinician now confident to treat call clients
- Key Populations Sensitization training
- HIV & Sexual Health Training to boost Service Integration
- Workshop Paves Way for Friendly Service
- CCHS Partners With UNICEF to Rollout Nutrition project
- Bau in Need of Health Facility
- CCHS ENB Completes 20 Days of
Human Rights Activism - SSpS Congregational Leader Visits NCCHS Office
CCHS Partners With NDoH to Rollout Training.
By Jelilah Kum
The National Department of Health in partnership with the Catholic Church Health Services rolled out the new HIV 3 Test Algorithm for Central Province in Port Moresby from the 21st to the 25th of November 2022.
The training objective is to increase testing in all entry points of the health care services and provide the participants with the knowledge and skills to accurately perform three HIV rapid tests to determine the HIV status of an individual
CCHS funded the training under the Sexual Reproductive Health Integration Project, and it was facilitated by the STI/HIV & AIDS Program team from NDoH.
A total of 30 health workers, seven from the Diocese of Bereina CCHS and 23 from the Central Provincial Health Authority attended the weeklong training at the Mahuru Seaview Hotel. These health workers do HIV Counseling and Testing and are also ART Officers in their respective health facilities.
At the completion of the training, the NDoH STI/HIV &AIDS Program Manager Dr. Peniel Boas thanked CCHS for funding the facilitation of the training and is looking forward to more collaborations. He encouraged the participants to utilize the knowledge and skills gained in the training to increase HIV testing and commence all positive cases on ART to decrease the transmission rate.
A representative for the participants requested that the NDoH team should start looking at implementing the accrediting facilities that are doing HIV testing and treatment without formal accreditations.
The next training for the 3-test algorithm planned for Western Province will take place next year.
SECRETARY'S MESSAGE
Dear all, I have many good and challenging things to share with you as we wrap up this year, 2022. It was a successful year for CCHS. After 6 years of establishment, we set up our goals for the next 10 years in the CCHS Strategic plan in line with the National Health Plan 2021-2030. Achieving this requires tremendous cooperation and teamwork, which we demonstrated during the launch.
The national team had the opportunity to visit several dioceses to strengthen our cooperation and journey together to improve the quality of services to our people.
The end of the year calls for each of us to do personal reflections and evaluations of our life; looking back on work performance and missed chances in 2022 as this year will never return.
In this quarter, the National Office and Diocese Offices are asked to do staff appraisals and evaluations. The National office completed for its 26 staff providing performance feedback from the management on how each staff conducted their professional duties. The rating and the feedback are used for increments and succession planning. The appraisals will help individual staff look back at their achievements and areas for future improvement and set goals for achieving them.
“I know it may be painful for some, for some promotion, increase of salary or other recognitions,”. My encouragement is for all dioceses to aim to have staff appraisals completed for each diocese before the year ends.
The National office would like to see all adjustments from this endeavor submitted to the national office with recommendations that can be implemented with payroll.
I also want us to reflect on our performance as an organization, how we did as a health service provider if there is room for improvement, and how best we can perform in 2023.
I would like to welcome all new staff that join CCHS this year at each level of service, be open to learning many things, and do not be afraid to share your gifts or talents as it is said: “The more you share the more you receive.”
We have several staff retired from our services this year, we want to acknowledge their contribution to our mission and wish them a good rest which they deserve.
Let us all remember our staffs, who died this year, let us remember them and their families in our prayers Lastly, I wish everyone Merry Christmas, let this time be a time of Joy, Peace, and Unity.
Sr Jadwiga Faliszek
CCHS National Secretary
PROJECTS UPDATE
CCHS has been fortunate to have some generous development partners continuing their financial and technical support for some of our essential health programs. In the last quarter of 2022, this is evident with our flagship project SRHIP, ensuring its strong commitment to the HIV program. Funding through the project has ensured the delivery of the HIV prescriber’s course in two separate provinces; Morobe and Western. A workshop with the health managers around quality improvement mechanism including aspects of gender transformative approaches. Outreach activities have been supported including the recent World Aids Day event. Other capacity building under the project included a Master Class Mentoring workshop, Key population sensitization in three provinces and a workshop on Youth & Adolescent Health. The project overall ensured that PLHIVs not only have access to HIV services but a wide range of other health services as a result of integrating HIV into primary health.
Another project that has recently gained momentum is in the nutrition program. Working closing with UNICEF and the National Department of Health, delivery of this project is in 10 provinces. Five of these provinces are directly managed by CCHS while the other five provinces are being offered administrative support. The project aims to reduce stunting among children less then 5 years and takes a community led approach where trainings for teachers, health workers and village health volunteers were conducted over the past couple of months. It has been challenging to manage across the project given the different partners from government and non-government agencies.
Apart from the two major projects, other projects include; funding support from Caritas Australia for medical equipment for some of the major health facilities. The collaboration has broaden to included health facility review and assessment that will only begin in 2023 for certain provinces as a starting point. Another partner that has increased its support over the past few months around short term funding for health commodities and equipment is Misereor. The German Bishop Conference has graciously stepped in to cover additional cost around the COVID-19 response and is willing to support a few more health needs.
CCHS PNG Observes the World AIDS Day
By Jelilah Kum
Catholic Church Health Services (CCHS) commemorated the 34th World AIDS Day on Dec 1st throughout the country with the theme, “PNG for Equality, Leaving No One Behind ”, derived from the Global theme, “Equalize”.
The staff at the CCHS National office held a short devotion with invited guests from the Catholic Bishops Conference (CBC) and the General Secretary for CBC Fr. Giorgio Licini, to celebrate the work that CCHS’s continuing efforts to combat HIV & AIDS in the country. The theme used was “Achieving Equity to End HIV Through Care and Compassion” to show how much the agency’s motto has affected the work that the staff carries out in their facilities on the ground.
Around the country, CCHS health workers in the provinces took time out off from their busy schedules to also commemorate the day. Prayer services were held in the morning to dedicate the PLWHIV and commemorate those that have lost their battle with AIDS, followed by road shows, awareness, dramas and so much more.
CCHS continues in its efforts to help stop the spread of HIV/ AIDS and provide care, treatment, and counseling to those infected with the virus. According to the National AIDS Council of PNG, the number of new HIV infections has increased to 3,800 in 2021. Approximately 10 people are infected every day. AIDS-related deaths have reduced indicating that PLWHIVs are responding to treatment.
Comparing our CCHS data with the NAC data, CCHS facilities are providing treatment to 17% (7873) of the 38376 PLWHIV on ART in PNG.
Out of the 250+ CCHS health facilities, we have 122 facilities doing HIV testings and 54 ART sites (Accredited + nonaccredited sites).
In 2022, under the Sexual Reproductive Health Integration Project, CCHS coodinated the training of 107 certified HIV Prescribers and is looking forward to training more healthworker next year.
Although there are many challenges in terms of delivering health services, many good staff on the ground do the best with what they have to continue the healing ministry.
We take this time to thank each and everyone of our CCHS staff for your tireless effort to help those who need it most.
CCHS thanks the National Department of Health, the Australian Government, and the other partners and stakeholders for their partnership and support.
Clinician Now Confident to Treat All Clients
testing in one of CCHS Lae’s patrol post.
By Jelilah Kum
Daniel Pius is a nursing officer from the Center of Mercy urban clinic in Lae. He joined CCHS in 2011 and has contributed much to Morobe’s health service delivery. He became a prescriber eight years ago and is currently doing Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) and is a certified HIV Prescriber and counselor. Pius had received Adult ART training but had not received any pediatric ART training until a refresher training was held at the Emmaus Conference Center in Port Moresby.
Pius is one of 27 participants who attended the refresher training for ART, HIV Prescribers, and Counselors from the 22nd to the 27th of September.
The training was conducted by Catholic Church Health Services in partnership with the Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, and Sexual Health Medicine under the Sexual Reproductive Health Integration Project (SRHIP). It covered new HIV treatment guidelines, the introduction of new STI medications, sexual health in PNG, and working with key populations (male and female sex workers, males with diverse sexuality, men having sex with men, and transgender people).
As the leading organization under SRHIP, CCHS continues to provide training that is tailored to ensure that HIV and sexual reproductive health services are of a high-quality standard.
The purpose of the training was to ensure that the HIV Counselors in the SRHIP health facilities are updated with new skills, knowledge, and developments to the HIV training they received some years back.
“So many things changed over the years, and we are fortunate to have the SRHIP program as it allowed us to have such training to keep us updated,” Pius said.
“In the past, we were giving patients alot of medications. The new treatment regime we are using has cut down alot of the medicines that we usually use, making our work much easier.”
Pius added that he used to refer pediatric cases to his senior HIV mentor for care and treatment however after this training, he says he is now confident to attend to the cases by himself.
Apart from the HIV training, Pius and his CCHS colleagues were able to attend three other vital sessions. A Monitoring & Evaluations session to help them understand how to correctly fill out the Health Surveillance forms 1 & 2 and the National Health Information Systems form. They were also able to attend a Child Protection & Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment (PSEAH) session and a refresher session on the HIV Patient Booklet which was facilitated by the National Department of Health ART Data Manager, Mr. Namarola Lote.
Port Moresby in Sptember.
Key Populations Sensitization Vital for All
By Getrude Gabi
A total of 21 participants completed a three-day Key Populations Sensitization training in Lae on the 13th of September 2022.
The Catholic Church Health Services in partnership with Burnet Institute and Key Population Advocacy Consortium (KPAC) PNG are rolling out the ‘Key Populations Sensitization to all health employees.
The training in Lae had participants from the following CCHS facilities; Centre of Mercy Urban Clinic, Bishop Henry Day Care Centre, St Dominic Aidpost, Mary Queen of Peace (MQOP) Health subcentre, PHA Morobe (Anua Moriri Clinic), and other NGOs. The participants included janitors, security guards, pharmacists, and clerks attended the training together with the health workers.
The training aimed at having the facility members understand who the key populations (KPs) are, how or what caused them to be who they are, identifying the barriers that cause them not to access health services, and how the health facility can overcome them to create a friendly environment for KPs.
The training was very informative and helpful to the participants, urging them to have an open dialogue around the topic, which the participants described to be interesting.
Key Populations Sensitization training was conducted in National Capital District, Western Highlands, Southern Highlands, Eastern Highlands, and Morobe. The facilitators include Parker Hou from Burnet Institute, Rose Suruka, from the CCHS National office, and KPAC Morobe Delegates, Mathew Audi, and Serah Sam.
All the Key Population training is conducted under the Sexual Reproductive Health Integrated Project (SHRIP). The team expressed gratitude to be part of the SHRIP Project and will continue through the project to support the Key populations.
HIV & Sexual Health Training to boost Service Integration
By Getrude Gabi
A total of 44 health workers completed six days of training on HIV & Sexually Transmitted Infections Syndromic Management on the 18th -26th of October 2022, in Western Province.
Forty-two of the participants were from the Catholic Church Health Services of Daru Kiunga Diocese and they were joined by two Health Extension Officers from the Western Provincial Health Authority.
The training aimed to improve the quality of integrated health service delivery in all the CCHS facilities by providing training to all the staff on Provider-Initiated HIV counseling and testing (PICT) & STI Syndromic Management Training.
CCHS coordinated the training through the Sexual Reproductive Health Integration Project (SRHIP) funded by the PNG Australia Transition to Health (PATH), and with the support of Australian Doctors International.
The Director of the PNG Sexual Health Society, Dr. John Milan facilitated the training with the help of co-facilitated Ben Kakowet caretaker of the Good Samaritan VCCT in Kiunga.
The participants expressed that the training was enriching and empowering, and they are happy to implement what they learned in the training back at their workplace.
These trained clinicians now have the skillsets and knowledge to work towards increasing testing for HIV/STI and properly diagnosing positive cases with counseling in their respective health facilities.
Before the training, the Good Samaritan Day Care center was the only CCHS facility providing HIV Counseling & Testing and prescribing ART to People Living With HIV. At the same time, the staff at the Center also do home visits to those who could not make it to the clinic to collect their ART supplies.
Bishop Joseph Durero of Daru- Kiunga Diocese, in his address to the participants, stressed the approach and values as CCHS staff to proclaim the daily Gospel through the ministry of healing. He encouraged them to build their capacity skills through the training for a true life-giving, compassionate, and holistic mission.
Workshop Paves Way for Friendly Service
facilitators.
By Getrude Gabi
The Catholic Church Health Services (CCHS) and Burnet institute under the Sexual Reproductive Health Integration Project (SRHIP) conducted a two-part training for Youth Adolescent Advisory Committee workshop and Clinical Adolescent Training on 25th to the 28th of October (TBC) 2022 at the Airways Hotel in Port Moresby.
The workshop was led and facilitated by CCHS staff, Maureen Lesley, and from the Burnet Institute, Peter Azzopardi and Eliza Schioldann.
P a r t i c i p a n t s included Youth leader from the Bereina Diocese in Central Province and Mendi Diocese in Southern Highlands, students from the University of Papua New Guinea, and a youth from the CCHS National office.
The workshop aimed to have the YAAC members validate the adolescent needs assessment data conducted in Urban (Port Moresby) Peri Urban (Mendi) and Rural (Bereina).
There were discussions and dialogue carried out on the challenges that Youths face when trying to access health services on Sexual Reproductive Health, and recommendations put forward. The YAAC Workshop was designed to help co-design the solutions to make CCHS reproductive health more accessible and acceptable adolescent-friendly and this was achieved.
CCHS Partners With UNICEF to Rollout Nutrition project
By Getrude Gabi
UNICEF has partnered with the Catholic Church Health Services to roll out a Nutrition Project in ten provinces.
Five CCHS provinces are East New Britain, Hela, Madang, Simbu, and Western while the other five are PHA provinces; Autonomous Region of Bougainville, Eastern and Western Highlands, National Capital, and Morobe.
The CCHS Nutrition Project Team rolled out its first training on Taking Nutrition Services to Scale in PNG recently, in Madang on the 24th to 28th of October 2022.
So far 9 of the provinces have conducted their training while the training for ENB will happen next year.
The focus group for the training is health workers, teachers, and village health volunteers (VHV). The training in Madang was facilitated by CCHS Nutrition project manager, Noel Sies, and co-facilitated by Nursing officer, Albina Kobo, who is the Madang Provincial Nutritional Officer.
It was aimed to upskill and enhance the knowledge of the participants on nutrition and its correlation to all forms of malnutrition. It was set to equip the participants on how to address the ongoing effects of malnutrition in targeted age groups and prevent growth stunting through nutrition intervention activities such as micro-nutrition powder (MNP), iron folate acid (IFA), Vitamin A, iron deficiency (IDD).
Most of the participants have not received such training before, particularly the health workers and even the schoolteachers who taught nutrition classes. They were not aware of the correlation between nutrition and growth and the many detrimental effects of nutrition on a pregnant or lactating mother, adolescent child, and infant are grossly ignored.
The participants expressed that the content was an eye-opener and brought tears to many mothers who have neglected the importance of good nutrition for their children.
VHVs that are around the age groups of adolescents (15-19 years old) or young adults (20+) are in a more vibrant group that can be able to walk the miles to implement this project activity so that there is effectiveness and consistency in the roll-out of the nutrition interventions at the community level.
All Nutrition training is expected to be concluded by December of 2022, and implementation to commence in 2023.
Bau in Need of Health Facility
By Daniel Pius (N.O Lae CCHS)
A team of six staff from Catholic Church Health Services of Morobe visited Bau Village as part of their integrated outreach program under the Sexual Reproductive Health Integration Project. The outreach covered two council wards and one primary school in the area over a five-day period from the 17th to the 21st of October 2022.
The communities are in great need of primary health care and HIV/AIDS services.
The villagers said that the aid post in Bau has been out of service for almost a year due to no staff on the ground and medical supplies not reaching the area.
The team carried out awareness on HIV/AIDS, TB, Malaria, and Covid-19. They did HIV counseling, testing and treatment, screening and treatment of general illnesses, malaria rapid testing, antenatal checks, and gave health talk during a school visit.
More than 350 HIV tests were done on those who tested positive and were counseled and put on ART. Close to 700 people were screened and treated for general illnesses of which more than 90 tested positive for malaria and were given treatment.
A village elder expressed his concern about people dying from HIV/AIDS and believes that transmission in the community is a big problem, which can be addressed through more visits from the health workers.
Bau is about 4 to 5 hours of boat ride away from Lae, so it costs one person K400 for a round trip (K200 to travel to Lae, and K200 back).
CCHS ENB Completes 20 Days of Human Rights Activism
By Jelilah Kum
The Catholic Church Health Services of East New Britain Province has been an active participant in the 20 days of the Human Rights Activism campaign that was launched by the Minister for Community Development and Religion on the 21st of November 2022.
The theme for this year is “From Safe Homes to a Safer PNG – Unite for Peace and Human Rights.
St Mary’s Vunapope District Hospital is one of five CCHS hospitals operating in the country. The CCHS ENB is working with our government partners, NGOs, and its communities by advocating and raising awareness for positive behavior change, addressing social issues that lead to health problems, and appreciating people who contribute to change in societies.
The CCHS ENB Cross-Cutting Issue team started the campaign on the 20th of November by observing the International Day for the elimination of violence against women and has continued to observe the other important days leading up to last week’s observance of World AIDS Day.
A mini expo was staged on the 2nd of December to commemorate World Disability Day. The theme was Social Inclusiveness, leaving no one behind. They set up spaces for Vunapope Hospital divisions like a Physiotherapist section, Eye care, Nutrition, etc.
applied POP to correct a child with club foot using ponseti management.
The Eye Care team combined with the Callan Services (AOR) team did awareness/advocacy for the people at the Callan Services Centre at Vunapope. The day was made special with sign language teachers demonstrating and teaching vital sign language like greetings.
On Monday, the 5th of December, the team celebrated International Day for Volunteers with cake. The staff at CCHS St Mary’s Vunapope Hospital acknowledged the contribution of volunteers and thanked one of their long-serving volunteer Hematologists, Dr. Chris Arthur who has served for five years.
The team at CCHS ENB wrapped up their 20 Days of Human Rights activism campaign on International Human Rights Day which fell on the 10th of December 2022.
SSpS Congregational Leader Visits NCCHS Office
provincial leaders infornt of the NCCHS office.
By Jelilah Kum
On the 21st of November, staff at the National office had the pleasure of meeting the new Congregational Leader for the Congregation of the Servants of the Holy Spirit (SSpS).
Sister Miriam Altenhofen traveled all the way from Rome to PNG on matters related to the SSpS and was happy to share a small amount of time with the NCCHS staff which is under the care of Sr Jadwiga Faliszek SSpS.
The NCCHS staff prepared a small program to show their appreciation to the SSpS congregation for their contributions to the development of CCHS as it is defined by the efforts of the early missionaries especially the Divine Ward Missionaries and the Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters dating back to the 1890s.
Sr Miriam was pleased with the small ceremony and thanked the staff for the warm welcome. Sr Miriam was accompanied by SSpS PNG provincial leaders.
Dear CCHS staff,
If you wish to share stories of the incredible work and amazing people you meet, I am extending this invitation to you to send in stories and pictures to
comadvocacy@catholichealthpng.org or WhatsApp it to NCCHS phone 79820975
Important Dates 2022
January
1st – New Year
2nd – Public Holiday
4th – International Braile Day
29th – World Leprosy Day
February
4th – World Cancer Day
– International Day of Human
Fraternity
11th – World Day of the Sick
13th – International Epilepsy
Day
22nd – World Encephalitis Day
March
1st – Zero Discrimination Day
3rd – World Hearing Day
8th – International Women’s
Day
21st -World Down Syndrome
Day
22nd – World Water Day
24th – World Tuberculosis Day
Important Numbers
In the case of emergencies, do not hesitate to contact these emergency numbers.
COVID –19 Hotline:
1800 200
Domestic Violence:
715 8000
Reporting on Rape:
321 1714 or 320 3728
Family and Sexual Violence Unit:
3211397 or 3211714
Human Trafficking:
7100 7777
1 Tok Kaunseling :
715 8000
National Catholic Church Health Services
Head Quarter
P O Box 297
BOROKO,NCD
Tel: 3257198
Email: info@catholichealthpng.org
Website: catholichealthpng.org
