I recently spent 8 weeks in Papua New Guinea at Kompiam District Hospital for my medical elective. Kompiam is a remote hospital situated in the mountains of Enga Province and is part of the Enga Baptist Health Services. It's one of the most unreached areas in the country resulting in limited healthcare access and infrastructure. During my time there, I was able to witness first hand the realities of practicing medicine in a low-resource setting, while also learning about the significant cultural differences, language barriers, and the ongoing tension between Christian faith and tribal traditions.
Throughout my placement, I joined the daily ward rounds alongside a local doctor, medical students from PNG, and ward nurses. I was actively involved in note-taking, clinical examinations, and helping to plan patient management as part of the team. I had the privilege of assisting in several surgeries—from scrubbing in and prepping to administering anaesthesia and suturing. I also learned how to take and process x-rays, run basic lab tests, and use ultrasound machines.
Many of the patients we saw presented with conditions such as malaria, tuberculosis, typhoid, and respiratory illnesses from sleeping by fires. Domestic violence and tribal fighting are sadly widespread in the region, and we frequently treated severe machete injuries that required extensive surgical and wound care. With limited resources and no specialist surgeons, the general rural doctors performed a wide range of procedures. We were also part of an on-call rota, responding to emergencies and starting treatment plans. These shifts could be intense, including one instance where a baby tragically passed away from a high fever from an infection. Situations like that were difficult, especially knowing the outcome might have been different with access to better resources.
One of the highlights was joining two medical patrols to remote villages. The first was via a MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship) plane, where I led a clinic with a nurse translator and administered vaccinations to babies and schoolchildren. The second was by helicopter to a village that hadn’t seen a medical team in six years. The whole village came out to greet us, and as a sign of gratitude, they cooked a pig in a traditional Mumu (a pit oven with hot stones). These moments were incredibly humbling and reminded me of the deep need for consistent healthcare in rural areas.
There were several challenges along the way, starting with the journey to the hospital, which involved multiple flights and a five hour jeep ride along rough, mountainous tracks. This journey stretched my faith and trust in God’s plan, calling me into constant prayer, as I often felt scared and overwhelmed travelling alone as a female. It made me so grateful for God’s provision, and I met so many amazing Christians along the way. It is encouraging to see how God’s family extends across the world, with people willing to care for and support you wherever you go. It took me a while to adjust to the unfamiliar culture, hospital routine and new faces, but by the end I had built strong friendships with many of the staff.
When I first arrived, the hospital was quite quiet, and I struggled with not knowing how to use my time effectively. But it became a valuable lesson in slowing down and being present, using the quiet moments to spend time with God. One ongoing challenge was the language barrier—while most of the medical staff spoke English, many of the patients did not, so I often relied on translators to communicate. The Sunday Baptist church services were held in Tok Pisin, which made it difficult to follow, but I found real joy and encouragement in the midweek women’s Bible study run for the hospital staff.
This experience had a deep impact on my faith. It was inspiring to see how deeply faith shapes the lives of the staff and patients, even in the face of hardship. Taking part in daily morning devotions with the staff and being able to pray with patients before surgery was something I’d never experienced before and something that would be unlikely in a UK hospital. It really encouraged and challenged me to think about how I might bring my own faith into my work life, and how I could share it more openly with colleagues in a UK setting. It was interesting being in a very spiritual culture and seeing the tension between Christian teaching and traditional tribal practices. It made me reflect on what it means to live out faith authentically, especially in contexts so different from my own.
Prayer Points:
- For PNG: Please pray for peace and healing in Papua New Guinea. The country continues to struggle with tribal violence, government corruption, and the challenge of integrating faith into a culture with strong traditional roots. The local church and healthcare workers are doing amazing work, but they need wisdom, strength, and spiritual protection.
- For Me: As I return to medical training in the UK, please pray that I wouldn't lose sight of the lessons I learned in PNG. It's easy to slip back into routine, but I hope to carry forward the compassion, humility, and perspective I gained there. I'd also appreciate prayer as I consider the possibility of working overseas in the future, and that I would trust God’s timing and leading in those decisions.
