Pacific International Hospital Initiatives Spotlight on Patients Medical Helpline Card Inside
Content
Welcome: Introduction by PIH CEO Serve: Our clinics, objectives and package vouchers Inspire: New programs and initiatives Lead: Interview featuring a leading staff member or innovation Fresh: New staff positions and latest news Strive: Statistics demonstrating progress in medical care Spotlight: Medical Travel and Advice in PNG Events: Features key events for PIH Insight: PNG Customs, Tok Pisin, Artefacts and more Directory: Features contact details for the hospital and clinics
MedicalTravel Spotlight
Accommodation If you have a pre-existing medical condition, prior to booking accommodation you need to make sure that you locate yourself close to the hospital in the region.
Medication If you have a pre-existing medical condition that requires you to take medication while travelling, make sure your doctor writes you a medical note. The note should outline the type of medication and its required intake as well as stating that it is for your personal use only. Make sure that you pack enough medication to cover your entire travel. In the event that you do run out, refill a script with a doctor present. Your doctor or specialist will also be able to provide you with recommendations and tips for safe travel.
Travel Health Insurance It is strongly recommended that you take out a comprehensive cover for travel health insurance especially if you have a pre-existing medical condition. Make sure that, in the event of illness or injury, it covers all of your expenses. If you have a partner and/or dependents, check that your insurance covers them as well.
Food and Water Consumption If you’re travelling to a destination where the food and water is not universally sanitised then ensure that you only eat cooked food and fruit that has not been peeled or cut. Always drink bottled water and use this to brush your teeth with. Avoid ice in your drinks.
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Vaccinations and Preventative Medication Consult your doctor to find out whether you need to be vaccinated or take preventative medication when travelling to destinations prone to disease. Avoid interaction with animals that carry diseases like rabies. Ask your doctor for any other precautionary information for travelling to these destinations.
Avoiding Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) To avoid blood clots, wear loose clothing, flex your calves while sitting, walk up and down the aisle occasionally, stay hydrated with water, drink minimal alcohol and avoid sleeping tablets. If you have a preexisting condition that puts you at risk of DVTs, wear compression stockings during the flight.
Medical Supplies and Kits If you are travelling to a destination that has subsidiary medical facilities and supplies, make sure that you pack supplementary supplies so that you don’t run out. This may include: prescribed medications, female hygiene products, contraception and nappies. Be sure to also pack a basic medical kit that contains analgesics, a disinfectant lotion, bandaids, insect repellent and sunscreen.
On Arrival Back Home If you have been exposed to a pathogen while travelling to a destination, it can take a couple of weeks for the symptoms to present. If you become sick on arrival back home with non-descript fever, rashes, vomiting and/or diarrhea please seek medical attention.
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Serve
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Insight
Walking in PNG’s shoes Papua New Guinea is rich in fascinating languages, food, artefacts and customs. Take the time to explore the region with all of your senses. Cultural Artefacts Tok Pisin Known as pidgin in English, Tok Pisin is a creole language which derives its vocabulary from a blend of languages. English forms the basis of Tok Pisin but the language is also influenced by German, Portuguese, Malay, Chinese and native languages. Tok Pisin translates to “talk pidgin” and is spoken by around two million people in PNG today. It’s believed that the whalers who arrived in the region around the 1850s spoke a rudimentary pidgin, a mix of English and native tongue, in order to trade with the locals. When Papua New Guineans were recruited to German owned plantations in Samoa in the 1870s, they spoke pidgin to communicate with the Malaysian and Chinese labourers. On arriving back home to PNG after their work stints, many labourers continued to speak it. When the German’s annexed the north eastern part of PNG, known then as German New Guinea, this was influential in isolating the language and allowing it to cultivate unique mechanisms. At the turn of the century, Tok Pisin became a means for the locals to attain European comforts such as cigarettes from settlers. During the Australian administration of PNG, Tok Pisin became more widely spoken and eventually forged itself into the common vernacular.
Food The mumu is a traditional style of cooking which is an integral part of PNG culture. It consists of cooking parcels of food on hot rocks in a small hole in the ground. While remote regions still use the method regularly to cook food, modernised precincts only really use it in ceremony nowadays. With its smokey baked flavours, the mumu is said to be a mouth watering experience. In preparation for a mumu, locals gather rocks and heat them in fire for a number of hours. A small hole is dug (though aluminium bins are also used) and lined with hot rocks where food parcels wrapped in banana leaves are inserted. The banana leaves are waved over heat just before filling them to increase their durability. The types of food cooked in a mumu is dependent on the region, with sweet potato, taro, yams, chicken, pork and seafood typical of the ingredients used. Before the parcels are sealed, coconut milk is poured over the contents along with spices which induces a delicious caramelisation. More hot rocks are placed on the food parcels, which are cooked for several hours or overnight. Be sure to try the delicious result of food cooked by this traditional method.
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Papua New Guinean art forms are as diverse as they are distinctive. Their intricate designs and unique shapes continue to intrigue people the world over. Most Papua New Guinean art has a spiritual and ceremonial meaning, which plays an important role in the lives of the villagers. Honouring tribal ancestors is a major theme in Melanesian life and so it comes as no surprise that the spirits of ancestors are immortalised in artefacts such as masks and sculptures. Artefacts are used in ceremony and rituals to honour both the living and the dead as well they have many practical applications. The indigenous flora and fauna in PNG provide both a source of inspiration and materials for artefacts. Although artefacts today are produced almost exclusively for resale, they are authentic replicas of traditional spirit figures, ancestral masks and weapons, often incorporating symbolic designs and motifs. You can be sure that every artefact you buy in the region is an original, from the beautifully woven and patterned wicker trays heralding from the Highlands to the brightly coloured carry bag called the ‘bilum’, which makes an evocative keepsake of PNG.
Customs When you are trekking in PNG it is important to understand you are walking through someone’s backyard – everything is either communally owned or owned by a family or tribe. Certain cultural taboos must be observed. It is expected to give gifts in exchange for a meal or accommodation in a Papua New Guinean village. Historically an article of clothing, a bag of rice, even pens, paper or batteries would be expected. Today, however, payment is often required in the form of actual money. Always ask your local guide if you are uncertain. Local guides also have the knowledge to help create a truly rewarding cultural experience. Ask as many questions as you can about the local culture, history, flora and fauna. Villagers are friendly and welcoming, but they are fairly conservative, so always wear long shorts (knee length) or pants/skirts and t-shirts. Swimming costumes can be too revealing so it is recommended that men wear shorts and women either shorts and a t-shirt or a sarong. Since you’re a bit of an oddity, you will be followed by curious children and stared at by everyone anytime you are out in a village, but don’t be intimidated – it’s not rude to stare in PNG. Help break the ice with a smile and a cheerful “apinun” which can help get some interesting conversations started with the locals.
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