Dr Mary Bagita
The annual scientific symposium was held in Madang during 29-31 August. The President, Dr Mary Bagita delivered the opening address and highlighted the theme of the meeting to focus on adolescent health, “Adolescent Health – a growing challenge”.
 
It was pleasing to see large numbers of O&G Specialists, clinicians, health extension officers, nurses and midwives turn up to the meeting. The host team in Madang, Dr John Bolnga and his colleagues extended a warm welcome to the visitors and made special efforts to keep the discussions interesting and dynamic.  The Society also managed to hold its annual general meeting with its members to discuss its business.
 
At its opening session, a moment of silence was observed in remembrance of Dr John Maku who passed on during the course of the last 12 months. Dr Maku was an expert Paediatrician who dedicated his life in serving his people. The President provided an excellent opening speech which highlighted the achievements of the Society despite the many challenges in providing health care in PNG. She paid tribute to two women: Ms Carmel Walker of the Royal Aust and NZ College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Dr Rufina Latu from WHO, both of whom have made significant support and contribution to the work of the PNG O&G Society and overall support in the Pacific region through the Pacific Society of Reproductive Health. Both ladies recently retired from their respective organisations in June 2018.
 
As was the practice in previous O&G annual symposium, Provincial SMOs made presentations on maternal and newborn statistics and described achievements and challenges. The keynote address was given by Mr Koffi Kouame, UNFPA Country Representative in PNG.  Other speakers included representatives from National Dept of Health, WHO, UNFPA, IPPF and Port Moresby General hospital. Mr Moses Sariki from the Madang Provincial Education Office spoke on the need for educating our young people on Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Issues in PNG. Other relevant topics in line with the theme included: update on the HPV Vaccination, mental health and youth-friendly services. One of the main areas for discussion was prevention of adolescent pregnancy and supporting adolescents to use effective contraception. A panel group discussed how to manage minority groups that oppose contraception.
One of the highlights of the conference was the presentation of research projects by postgraduate students attending University of Papua New Guinea medical school.
 
The research topics included:
 

• Reasons for not booking to ANC and comparing with the fetal and maternal outcomes for the booked mothers at Popondetta General Hospital – Dr Thomas Aiyak

• Prevalence of Gestational Diabetes at Vunapope General Hospital – Dr Christine Tipayamb

• Socio-demographic factors in IUD users at Kundiawa Hospital – Dr Megan Kona

• A retrospective analysis of the Primary Indications of Caesarean Sections and the Maternal and Fetal Outcomes over 12 months at Kimbe General Hospital – Dr Samson Vava

• Factors associated with initial Antenatal Care Visit at Buka General Hospital – Dr Oliver Ketauwo

• Adolescent Pregnancy: A prospective study demonstrating the demographics and pregnancy outcomes in adolescents at Kavieng General Hospital – Dr Pauline Masta

• Births before Arrival (BBA): Contributing Factors to BBA and Maternal and Fetal Outcomes at Modilon General Hospital – Dr Wendy Sapau

 
 
The 2018 symposium concluded with a panel to discuss “the Way Forward for Reproductive and Maternal Health in PNG, focusing on Adolescent Health”.  The panel was followed with a session to agree on the Resolutions of the meeting. The 2018 O&G Symposium identified the following Resolutions and proposed that the Society and its members take action in order to improve reproductive and maternal-newborn health, with special emphasis on adolescent health.

• RESOLUTION 1:  Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy
• RESOLUTION 2:  Strengthen Adolescent Reproductive Health Services
• RESOLUTION 3:  Strengthen Maternal Death Reviews to reduce maternal deaths

by Prof Rajat Gyaneshwar
The modern day health professional aspires to be up to date in knowledge and skills to be able to provide the best care for their patients. The public expectation is that they will receive the highest level of care with compassion, respect and dignity. In response to these aspirations and expectations the Pacific Society for Reproductive Health (PSRH), national Obstetrics & Gynaecological (O&G) Societies of Papua New Guinea, Fiji and others have been increasingly involved in organizing biennial and annual scientific conferences, symposiums and workshops which bring together health professionals from the region to learn from each other and network. It is heartening that PSRH brings together different cadres involved in the delivery of Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) care, acknowledging that quality care requires a team effort to respond to the different aspects of SRH.
 
Professional development recognizes that all of us have the potential to continue to develop increasing levels of expertise as well as improvements in our approaches to deliver quality care.  It also recognizes that unless we are involved in maintaining our skill sets we tend to lose them. Thus an expert’s skills can be lost due to lack of practice. Additionally, it is important that health professionals keep abreast of evidence based best practices so that changes in management approaches are instituted appropriately. What was once best practice at some point in time may have become unacceptable practice.
 
It is important that we as individual practitioners become life-long learners and recognize that learning is our personal responsibility.  This requires regular reading, literature reviews, consultation and research. In addition, we need to search for opportunities to meet with our colleagues and learn through discussion, debating, sharing and listening. Scientific meetings and symposiums provide wonderful events for this. At these meetings we have the rare opportunity to interact with and listen to invited experts who can update us on evidence based practices.
 
The adult learning literature says that adults learn best by sharing and testing out their learning experiences with each other. The learning context must be respectful with plenty of opportunity to interact and to appreciate the exchange of experience. Our experience in the Pacific is that health professionals are most participatory and responsive to interactive learning opportunities. Conference and symposium organisers need to be cognizant of this and therefore capitalize on settings that use interactive participation.
 
From its early beginning in 1993, PSRH has worked to bring together health professionals so they can network and stimulate their learning through professional dialogue and sharing on a regular basis. Over the years, PSRH has linked up with RANZCOG, national O&G Societies, and national Midwifery Societies to broaden and expand the opportunities for adult learning in the field of maternal-newborn health and sexual and reproductive health. It is now 25 years since PSRH was established. Every 2 years it has held a well-structured scientific conference preceded by a number of technical workshops. The midwifery and O&G Societies have similar meetings at country level. Attendances at these meetings have generally been sponsored through donor contribution to PSRH, but sponsorships are becoming more difficult to negotiate. Therefore, it is logical that health professionals should start moving towards self-sponsored participation in these meetings.
 
Having worked in the Pacific for more than 40 years, I am humble to say that I am still learning from fellow professional colleagues. I wish to aspire you all to commit yourselves to doing the best for our patients by maintaining clinical competence and adhering to current best practices in all aspects of safe pregnancy and delivery and overall women’s health.  At every stage of the health profession, everyone should take responsibility for one’s own professional development and as we go up the ladder, we should adopt leadership skills and become role models for junior colleagues.