A Lighter Note

I wanted to write a lighter post as so much of my experience here has been truly wonderful and I haven’t fully expressed that here yet. First, I’ve neglected to give a little context. I did not know much about PNG before coming and am still woefully ignorant, but here are a few of the things I have learned. PNG occupies the eastern half of the island of New Guinea, just north of Australia. Two Indonesian provinces occupy the western half of the island. The island is incredibly culturally and linguistically diverse and slightly more than 80% of its population lives in rural areas. Over 800 languages are spoken in PNG and it is one of the least explored countries in the world. English is one of the official languages although it is not commonly spoken. Most commonly spoken, at least in the highlands where I am, is Tok Pisin (or Papua New Guinea Pidgin). There are numerous areas of the country with little to no connection with the rest of the world. That being said, there is also clear western influence in more populated areas of the country from music to advertising to knowledge of English. PNG has a fast growing economy secondary to mining and natural resources, but the vast majority of the population is unemployed or subsistence farmers. It has been at various times under German, British and Australian control, but officially gained its independence in 1975. It is still as a commonwealth realm with Queen Elizabeth II as its monarch and head of state. The island has an extremely diverse ecosystem ranging from coast to wetlands to rainforest to mountain (Mt Wilhelm, the highest peak, is 14,721 feet high!).  The most popular sport is rugby. The country is predominately Christian, although this is mixed with traditional, more animistic beliefs that tend to incorporate veneration of the dead and belief in evil spirits. The education and health care system is provided both by the government and church/NGO groups. It is incredibly beautiful in both its people and landscapes.

One of the first things I noticed about the people of PNG is how welcoming they are. As you walk down the road almost everyone will greet with you a wave or “Morning,” “Good day,” “Afternoon,” or “Evening” as appropriate. Smiles are common and quickly reciprocated. At church, there is often a good chunk of time at the beginning of the service to welcome all of the different groups who might be present.

Another characteristic I have noticed is how patient the people are. Many start lining up early in the morning for the clinic and often wait hours to be seen. Some of them have traveled for a couple of days in order to be seen at the hospital because the transportation system, outside of a few maintained roads and airplanes, is poor. Despite long waits and inconveniences, many of the people are very patient and thankful.

On a final note, one of the physicians here who worked here for 34 years is preparing to retire in about a month. His name is Dr. Bill. My initial meeting with Dr Bill was helping him to place a long arm cast. He kept making funny noises as he shaped or applied the plaster, either for his own or the patient’s amusement, I’m not sure which. To be honest, I thought he was a little odd at first, but as I got to spend more time with him I was amazed at his character. Through years of experience, Dr Bill has gained an incredible wealth of knowledge of both the people of PNG as well as the medical ailments that come through Kudjip hospital. He is the go to guy when an interesting case or difficulty diagnosis comes along. And yet, he is incredibly gentle, humble and overflowing with love. His quiet greeting carries a weight of affection behind it that is rare. One day in clinic I asked him to come help me with a patient that I was concerned had liver cancer based on my exam and ultrasound. Dr Bill confirmed the diagnosis and you could hear his heartbreak as he broke the news to the patient. Even after years of seeing cases like this over and over again, he was still present to this man’s suffering. Before we left, he wrapped him in a hug, something I had seen him do multiple times before, an expression that to me conveyed a longing to protect the patient from what was coming, to bring him closer to his heart. I don’t think Dr. Bill will get a lot of accolades or honors for his devoted work in this small corner of the world, but I can tell that here he is a giant and will be greatly missed. I hope that as a doctor I can emulate some of what Dr. Bill has accomplished here and, when I look back on my career, see the patients I’ve helped rather than the attention I’ve received.