Kapuna Hospital - FAQs

(Frequently Asked Questions)


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Note: This is a very rough start to this page...waiting for the real information to filter back from PNG.

Q: I understand Kapuna is remote, but how remote?
A: Assume that once you're there, you're there for the duration (and in the wet season, you might be there for more than the duration). There are NO roads; it is water access only, with the only 'all weather' airstrip a day's dingy trip away...but just because a plane can land, it doesn't mean the plane will actually come...or not be over-booked


Q: What communications are there with the big wide world?
A: There is a radio telephone, which works much of the time. And we have reasonably reliable email (with a 30k limit per email...so no large attachments). Airmail from Australia and New Zealand will generally get to us within 2 weeks


Q: What 'shots' should I get?
A: Essential immunizations:
    1. Up-to-date with regular childhoood immunizations - tetanus, pertussis, polio
    2. Hepatitis A
    3. Typhoid
    4. Flu vaccine - to protect us from you! And to protect you from people wih flu in airports / planes

    Optional immunizations
    1. Hepatitis B. Often included with Hepatitis A, so makes economic sense to have both together
    2. BCG - Whether this immunization is useful for anything is debateable, but if you are gong to work          in the hospital it may give you a sense of reassurance that at least you did what you could to  
         protect against TB
    3. Japanese Encephalitis - Opinion has it there is no JE in PNG. However I have seen travel maps
        in whose opinion there is JE in the western parts of PNG. JE can be a fatal disease, so if you are
        the concerned type, then have the immunization.
    4. Pneumococcal and meningococcal vaccines - in my opinion you are no more likely to contract
        these diseases in PNG than in any other country. If you have a problem with low immunity,
        perhaps worth enquiring about these
 
     Vaccines NOT required
    1. Rabies - there is no rabies in PNG. It is endemic in Indonesia, so one day it will probably come 
    2. Cholera - UPDATE! UPDATE! UPDATE! We said there is no cholera in PNG. Unfortunately, that is very old advice, and now very wrong! There is Cholera in PNG, and there is Cholera in our area. Praise God no one that has made it to our hospital with cholera has died of it. The only other blessings to come out of this is that the hospital knows how to deal with it, and also now has much better toilet facilities.
    3. Yellow fever - there is no yellow fever in PNG.


Q: What about malaria?
A: Malaria is endemic in PNG, but with the proper prevention and if it comes to it, the proper medication, it is reasonably controllable. See your GP for anti-malarials. And remember, you're coming to a hospital...the right place to be should you get malaria


Q: What can I get/buy at Kapuna?
A1: There is a fresh food market and a small general store where you'll be able to buy basic supplies:  some tinned foods, toothpaste, soap, standard batteries, rice, flour, etc. Don't expect chocolate (melts in the heat) or any other junk food and you won't be disappointed.
A2: Kapuna is strictly alcohol-free, drug-free, and as smoke-free as you can get in a world of addicts. Being a hospital, and a Christian mission base, all guests and visitors are required to abide by these rules...look on it as a great time to 'cold-turkey'


Q: It's hot; but how hot is it?
A: It's hot, but it's the humidity most visitors notice most. Summer day temperatures are in the low 30s (Celsius, of course), but the high humidity makes you sweat a lot more than 30 in Australia or NZ or other similar places. Nights can vary between hot and warm (occasionally you might sleep with more than just a sheet). The thunder storms are the best.


Q: What should I wear?
A: Light cotton clothes. Long sleeves and light trousers are useful, especially at nights, against mosquitoes. Wear clothes similar to Australia/NZ in the peak of summer. Important note: DO NOT bring any of your favorite clothes. They may get torn, stained, or otherwise ruined during your stay.
Note: Kapuna has a relaxed standard of dress, but guys, leave your bikinis for your Fijian resort holiday


Q: What about shoes?
A: Depends what you are doing, and what you like. Peter was often referred to as the 'bare-foot-doctor'. Jandals (thongs for you Australians, slippers to others, and even flip-flops to some) are very standard normal wear. But they are slippery in the wet and the mud, so light running shoes are also worn extensively. If you are into jungle whacking, heavy boots or gumboots are a must.




 





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