CATHOLIC HEALTH SERVICES CELEBRATES 10 YEARS OF SERVICE AND 3RD NATIONAL CONFERENCE
CAPTION: His Eminence Cardinal John Ribat
BY FLORIN YAPO
CATHOLIC Church Health Services (CCHS) has celebrated its 3rd National Conference and 10th Anniversary as a separate health service entity, reaffirming its commitment to delivering quality healthcare to communities across Papua New Guinea.
The celebrations were held recently in Port Moresby under the theme, “Honouring Our Legacy, Inspiring Our Future: Advancing Catholic Health Services Through Faith, Compassion and Excellence.”
The event brought together church leaders, health professionals and stakeholders to reflect on the achievements of Catholic Health Services over the past decade and discuss ways to strengthen healthcare delivery in the future.
His Eminence Cardinal John Ribat highlighted the ongoing challenges faced in providing health services to remote and isolated communities throughout the country.
He said “despite existing government services, many people living in rural areas continue to experience difficulties accessing essential healthcare”.
Chief Executive Officer of the National Catholic Health Secretariat, Sr. Jadwiga Faliszek, echoed these concerns and highlighted the challenges of deploying and retaining health workers in some of the country’s most remote locations.
She said “access to quality education for health workers’ children, reliable electricity, clean water and other basic services remain key factors affecting workforce retention in rural areas”.
Despite these challenges, Sr. Faliszek said the Catholic Church remains dedicated to ensuring healthcare services reach those most in need.
Catholic Church Health Services continues to play a significant role in PNG’s healthcare sector, providing medical services through a network of hospitals, health centres and community-based programmes throughout the country.
As the organisation marks a decade of operation as a separate health service entity, church leaders say the focus remains on strengthening healthcare delivery and improving access to services for rural and remote communities.
