Oil Search takes lead in Public-Private Partnership Programs in PNG

BY JACOB MARCOS

The Oil Search Foundation (OSF) is taking a lead in the Public-Private Partnership Health Programs for providing and supporting health in the country as part of their primary and preventative health care programs.

Just recently, it has conducted a HIV refresher training in Tari, Hela Province to boost in HIV management and treatment for health care workers from rural health facilities throughout the province through a help of a visiting medical doctor.

OSF facilitated Dr Arun Menon to conduct an intensive three day workshop with the officers from the resource rich Hela Province.  

Over 106 health care workers, including general hospital staff, Provider-Initiated Counselling and Testing (PICT) trained officers and Integrated Management of Adolescent and Adult Illness (IMAI) trained officers from all three districts, maternity ward nurses, and Family Support Centre staff were given additional training over three days.

Dr Arun spent two days at Hela Provincial Hospital and a day at the Oil Search Hides base conducting the sessions.

The range of topics covered included: diagnosis and treatment of most common Sexual Transmitted Infections (STI’s); issues surrounding discordant couples and how to counsel them; identifying Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART) failure in HIV patients; selection of first-line ART for HIV clients with issues surrounding co-infections; general HIV treatment updates; ART pre-exposure prophylaxis versus ART post exposure prophylaxis, how to manage people requesting PrePEP, occupational exposure; PICT refresher training on  HIV testing new algorithm; and addressing ART treatment and management in Most-At-Risk Populations (MARPs).

As part of our primary and preventative health program the OSF ensures a major learning and development boost was given to health and HIV personnel from both the public health system and their own workforce.

Photo: Dr Arun Menon running a HIV refresher training for health care workers in Hela Province