Kudjip Nazarene Hospital

As we settle into life here in PNG and begin to understand our role more, part of knowing how the station works is through the hospital. This is the heartbeat of what happens in Kudjip. 
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Jiwaka Province is home to nearly a half a million people. The hospital is the only hospital in the entire province. People walk for days to see a doctor.

Jen and I had the opportunity to shadow a few doctors at the hospital, and it was a deeply eye-opening experience. We saw firsthand the extraordinary work being done by both missionary and national Papua New Guinean doctors, all operating under less-than-ideal conditions with limited equipment, scarce medication, and an overwhelming variety of patients.

It was heartbreaking to see so many people suffering from illnesses and conditions—like advanced HIV/AIDS, TB, and untreated cancers—that simply wouldn't carry the same devastating outcome in more developed countries. In one instance, a woman came in with severe lacerations on her arm after trying to protect herself from her husband during a machete attack. Because formal law enforcement is almost nonexistent here, these domestic issues are handled locally within the community, which often leaves victims with little justice or protection.
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The experience was both inspiring and deeply distressing. The doctors here regularly face their own emotional trauma, battling intense feelings of helplessness as they care for so many critical patients with such limited resources, while at the same time rejoicing over miracles such as a child walking out of the hospital after experiencing head trauma from a fallen tree. Please keep these dedicated healthcare workers and their patients in your prayers.