Three Port Moresby General Hospital staff to undergo Operation Heart Training in India

Three hard working staff of the Port Moresby General Hospital are thankful to the Operation Open Heart (OOH) Foundation for funding three months of further training in India.

Two nurses, Sister Noelyn Wangi and Sister Jean Boie will undergo cardiothoracic nursing training while Perfusionist and Anaesthetic Technician, Norman Kambo will undergo paediatric perfusionist training.

The three left the country last Saturday to undergo training at Dr. Cherian Heart Foundation in Chennai, South India. Sister Wangi, who works as a senior nurse in the critical care unit of the Port Moresby General Hospital is thankful to the sponsor, for the great opportunity to undergo overseas training for the first time. “It will be a new experience for me to gain new knowledge and I am happy and proud to be part of the training. When I return my goal is to support the cardiac team of the hospital and help improve the cardiothoracic nursing care of heart patients” Sister Wangi said.

Sister Boie, who also works in the critical care unit said it was a great opportunity to expose to new knowledge and experience. “Thank you, Operation Open Heart Foundation, for the great opportunity. I will do my best, and when I come back, I will teach other colleagues what I have learned so we can work as a team to contribute to the cardiac team and improve heart service of PNG”, Sister Boie said.
Technician, Mr. Norman Kambo who has performed anesthesiology for 16 years and perfusion for three years said “when you have a perfusionist it is a complete heart surgery discipline, when performing Operation Open Heart, It is a technical area where a skilled and trained person controls the flow of blood into patient’s body when undergoing OOH surgery with the use of artificial heart and lung machine. In previous years of OOH, the procedure was performed voluntarily by our overseas counterpart. Now it’s time we take over and do it ourselves. I am thankful for this second round of training; it will give me the confidence to perform it myself, and I am prepared to take the challenge, Mr. Kambo said.