PNG to host South Pacific Nurses Forum

PNGNA president Frederick Kebai (front-left) flanked by association executives during the announcement of the 2024 South Pacific Nurses Forum. (NBC News: Suli Suli)

After nearly three decades, the Papua New Guinea Nurses Association will host the South Pacific Nurses Forum in Port Moresby from June 4-7.

This prestigious event set to unfold at Apec House will unite nurses from across 17 countries in the Oceania region including Australia and New Zealand.

The South Pacific Forum serves as a premier platform for the nursing professionals across the region to convene and exchange thoughts, insights and collaborate on advancing nursing practice and health care delivery.

PNGNA president Frederick Kebai said the regional meet in the nation’s capital will enrich experience featuring an array of engaging sessions, workshops and networking opportunities.

“So through the forum we want to enhance nurses’ knowledge, learn new skills and bring in new knowledge so that we can better serve our citizens of Papua New Guinea,” Kebai said.

PNG last hosted this meeting in 1990 with hopes to have a voice in the national executive government.

The 2024 forum themed "Our Nurses Our Team: Building Transformational Reflective Nursing Leadership for Contemporary Education, Research, and Clinical Practice Locally and Globally" will also be attended virtually.

The regional event set for next month provides an opportunity for the PNG nurses to highlight some of the issues faced in the country and discuss ways forward in the domestic front and South Pacific community.

“This an excellent opportunity to showcase all the nurses’ expertise and they can also contribute dialogue on key issues impacting nursing and health care in our region,” PNGNA general secretary Mulina Kwalimu said.

The association is in the final phase of preparations with the Health Department injecting K300,000 seed capital to host the 21st forum which will cost about K800,000.

As the nurses look forward to accommodating this significant seminar in the health sector, PNG has two main objectives to achieve from this by-annual gathering with nurses’ welfare amongst some of the key agendas.

“The purpose of it is basically to collaborate, network, see what the problem is within the South Pacific countries, what we face in terms of the challenges and discuss pathways in which we can collaborate and work together to improve nursing services throughout the region,” Forum committee leader Merilyn Nicholas said.

“One of the most important thing this forum holds is looking at the welfare of the nurses in the region.”

The previous forum was virtually hosted by Vanuatu in 2020 with PNG given the honors to lead in 2022, but due to the global pandemic's aftermath, it was postponed to this year.