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Health in PNG

Health care management

The Hidden Valley, Wafi and Wau Medical Centres provide both primary health care and occupational health surveillance and treatment. Further medical support functions are provided to communities at the Wau and Wafi community medical facilities.

Health performance

A total of 907 pre-employment medicals were undertaken in FY09 (FY08: 700), reflecting the continued ramp-up in operations and the consequent rise in recruitment at Hidden Valley.

As required by regulations in PNG, a threshold audiogram is undertaken during pre-employment and as part of the employees’ annual medical surveys. To date there have been no cases of significant hearing loss from Hidden Valley. Once construction has been completed, a full noise survey will be undertaken at Hidden Valley. Based on this report, a noise abatement management and education plan will be developed.

A total of 10 597 health care contacts were recorded at the Hidden Valley Medical Centre in FY09. The primary illnesses treated were upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) (63%) and malaria (28%). Changing altitude is the primary cause of this high level of URTI. Most local employees commute from the warmer lower-lying areas in PNG (at close to sea level); Hidden Valley is located between 2 000m and 3 000m above sea level. Employees are therefore exposed to this change in altitude on a regular basis and this appears to be the common contributing factor. Symptoms are usually mild, similar to the common cold.

Testing to promote early diagnosis and effective treatment on site continued as part of the campaign to combat malaria. In FY09, 3 001 new cases of malaria were recorded (FY08: 2 500).

The mine supports the Morobe Provincial Health Authority with its malaria eradication programme, sponsored by the Global Funds and a donor agency, which has been distributing treated mosquito nets to the malaria-infested areas, including the Bulolo District, to reduce malaria and filarias is in the country. This campaign will continue until 2012. We support this programme by distributing treated mosquito nets in specific areas, conducting malaria education programmes, undertaking fogging in specific areas associated with our operations and by advocating to the employees the availability of malaria prophylactic treatment, early detection programmes and administration of an effective treatment regime. More than 300 mosquito nets were issued to employees and community members during the year as part of Harmony’s drive to combat malaria.

A further 12 458 medical contacts were recorded at the Wau and Wafi community medical clinics. Of these, 30% were treated for malaria, 25% for upper respiratory tract infections, 20% for skin diseases, 15% for general body ailments and 10% for all other ailments. This clinic also provides immunisation and vaccination programmes to the local community. We provide typhoid, tetanus and hepatitis vaccinations to employees and the community at large under the Morobe Provincial Health Cold Chain Programme (basic immunisation, the focus being children and mothers from within the mining-affected communities).

With regards to TB prevalence, PNG is ranked second amongst 37 countries in the region, and Morobe Province is ranked second among the 20 provinces in PNG. However, according to the Bulolo District TB programme coordinator, the Bulolo district has over the past 12 months accounted for only 90 registered TB cases. All have responded well to the DOTS treatment programme. TB prevalence surveys and, the DOTS programme is sponsored by World Vision and the PNG Government under the TB Eradication Charter. The MMJV actively supports the programme through awareness, community education and training, as well as reporting and referring suspected cases to the registered co-ordinating centre at Bulolo Health Centre. There have been no reported positive TB cases from Hidden Valley.