Health

Healing and Hope: The Mission of Nazarene General Hospital in Papua New Guinea

aheckman — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 20:48:10 +0000

Healing and Hope: The Mission of Nazarene General Hospital in Papua New Guinea aheckman Thu, 06/18/2026 - 20:48

Healing and Hope: The Mission of Nazarene General Hospital in Papua New Guinea

June 19, 2026 ~ Ella Slibeck, missionary in Papua New Guinea

For decades, Nazarene General Hospital has served as a place of healing and hope for communities across the Highlands. Since 1967, the hospital has functioned as the primary healthcare facility for approximately 400,000 residents of Jiwaka Province and surrounding areas. In addition to addressing physical health needs, the hospital is committed to providing spiritual care, reflecting its mission to serve the community with compassion and Christ-centered ministry.

The hospital offers a range of services, including emergency surgery, maternity care, family medicine, and palliative care. Through these services, the medical team works to demonstrate God’s love while providing quality healthcare to those who may otherwise have limited access to medical treatment.

Missionaries Serving in Many Roles

The mission community surrounding the hospital includes individuals serving in various capacities, from doctors and nurses to teachers, administrators, and volunteers. Among those currently serving is missionary Ella Slibeck, who has been at the hospital since June 2025.

A graduate of Olivet Nazarene University with a degree in biology, Ella Slibeck is spending a gap year in Papua New Guinea before returning to the United States to begin medical school. During her time at the hospital, she has assisted with administrative projects while also shadowing doctors in several specialties, including surgery, obstetrics, and family medicine. In addition to her work in the hospital, she teaches physical science at the local high school, contributing to both the medical and educational ministries within the community.

Her experience reflects the many ways missionaries support the broader work of the hospital, helping strengthen its ability to serve the people of Papua New Guinea.

Daily Life on Mission

Each day at the hospital presents new challenges and opportunities for meaningful service. The daily rhythm often begins with patient rounds, during which physicians evaluate patients in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Throughout the day, doctors may perform surgeries, operate clinics, and address the many needs of patients seeking treatment.

Working in the Nazarene General Hospital requires both medical skill and deep compassion. The team regularly navigates the realities of limited resources and significant healthcare needs, yet the work is also marked by powerful moments of healing, gratitude, and connection with patients and families.

These experiences remind many who serve there that the mission extends beyond medical treatment. It is also about offering hope and care in ways that reflect Christ’s love.

Reflections from Medical Leaders

Dr. Mark Crouch, Medical Education Coordinator, shared his reflections on the deeper meaning of the work:

“Through it all, I’ve learned that this work is about far more than what we accomplish as doctors—it’s about the lives we touch, the relationships we build, and the way we reflect God’s love in a place that is desperately in need of it. I’m reminded daily that I am here because this is where God has placed me, with the skills and heart to serve the people of Papua New Guinea. This is where I’m meant to be, and every challenge and every victory only deepens that truth for me.”

Dr. Daniel Dyer, the Director of Medical Services, also reflects on the rewarding yet challenging nature of his work.

“As I walk through the hospital or head out on rounds, I’m reminded why I’m here—why each week I pour out my life in hours of work at the hospital and in administration. These people are so beautiful and kind, hardworking and industrious in the face of immense hardship. It is a blessing to join my Savior in caring for them and learning from them.”

He continues,

“While the work can be tough—whether it’s handling medical crises, managing hospital administration, or navigating the complexities of daily operations—there is no greater reward than witnessing the lives of our patients transformed. It is in these moments, both the small victories and the challenging ones, that I am reminded of the profound impact of our service here.”

A Calling to Serve

Serving at Nazarene General Hospital is more than practicing medicine; it is a calling that combines professional expertise with compassionate ministry. Doctors, nurses, missionaries, and volunteers work together to care for patients physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Each day brings new challenges, yet it also offers opportunities to make a lasting difference in the lives of those who seek care. For many who serve in this setting, the experience deepens their faith and strengthens their sense of purpose.

For those who feel called to medical mission, the hospital provides a place where faith and medicine intersect. The work may be demanding, but the impact is profound as lives are touched through both healing and hope.

“Nazarene Health Ministries provides quality health services for the people of PNG to show the love and transforming power of Christ.”

This article was originally published here.

Papua New Guinea

Health Care

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Live Compassion

Healing Hearts and Changing Lives at Nazarene General Hospital

aheckman — Thu, 08 May 2025 16:05:18 +0000

Healing Hearts and Changing Lives at Nazarene General Hospital aheckman Thu, 05/08/2025 - 16:05

Healing Hearts and Changing Lives at Nazarene General Hospital

MAY 8, 2025 - LEODY ECHAVEZ

In 1967, the Church of the Nazarene opened a small clinic in the Waghi Valley in Papua New Guinea. Missionary nurses worked tirelessly to care for the sick and injured. Over time, this small clinic grew into Nazarene General Hospital, a 130-bed facility that serves the entire region. In 2016, it became a Provincial Referral Hospital—a significant achievement in its journey to provide better health care.

The hospital also established a nursing school to train local health care professionals, ensuring quality care for future generations. Nazarene General Hospital is driven by a clear mission: to provide quality medical care to everyone, regardless of their background, and to show God's love through health care. The hospital is guided by the values of compassion, excellence, integrity, respect, and stewardship. These principles ensure that every patient receives not just medical treatment but also kindness and respect.

The hospital offers a wide range of services to meet the diverse needs of the community, from outpatient and inpatient care to specialized treatments like surgery, maternity care, dental care, and HIV/AIDS treatment. Nazarene General Hospital is equipped to handle many health issues. It also focuses on rural health care, offering family planning, nutritional support, immunizations, and tuberculosis treatment to address the unique challenges faced by these remote communities.

Many people in the Waghi Valley live in isolated areas. To reach them, Nazarene General Hospital has opened seven rural clinics, bringing essential health care services closer to those who need them most. The hospital also trains community health workers and partners with local villages to establish primary health care centers. This way, even the most remote communities can access quality care. The true impact of Nazarene General Hospital is seen in the lives it has touched. Infant mortality rates have dropped, and many illnesses are treated effectively.

Nazarene General Hospital's mission is supported by partnerships with local and international organizations. These collaborations bring valuable resources like expertise, funding, and equipment, allowing the hospital to expand its services and reach more people in need. Working together, these partners amplify the hospital’s ability to provide comprehensive care.

The Waghi Valley’s rugged terrain and limited infrastructure pose significant challenges. However, Nazarene General Hospital meets these obstacles with creativity and determination. Mobile medical clinics and rotational doctor visits to rural areas are just a couple of the innovative solutions that ensure health care is accessible to everyone, no matter how remote.

Nazarene General Hospital believes that true health care goes beyond treatment to include education and community involvement. Health education programs raise awareness about preventive care and hygiene practices. By working with local leaders and training community health workers, the hospital promotes better health practices within villages, empowering communities to take charge of their health.

Looking to the future, Nazarene General Hospital plans to expand its training programs and welcome new local physicians. These physicians will be trained in emergency medicine and anesthesia, enhancing the hospital’s capabilities. They will also carry forward the hospital's mission, combining medical expertise with the compassionate care inspired by the Great Physician.

Nazarene General Hospital stands as a beacon of hope, compassion, and resilience in the Waghi Valley. From its humble beginnings to its current role as a vital health care provider, its journey is a testimony to the power of service, faith, and community. As it continues to grow and touch more lives, the hospital remains committed to healing, serving, and inspiring. Each day, it proves that through compassion and dedication, we can change the world—one patient at a time.

Building Strong Relationships: Fighting HIV and AIDS in Zambia

aheckman — Thu, 02 Feb 2023 20:22:00 +0000

Building Strong Relationships: Fighting HIV and AIDS in Zambia aheckman Thu, 02/02/2023 - 20:22

Building Strong Relationships: Fighting HIV and AIDS in Zambia

FEBRUARY 2, 2023 · REPORTING BY MOSES SIKABETA, NCM IN ZAMBIA

The volunteers who regularly make the rounds between villages have a challenge set before them. They are visiting people to talk to them about HIV and AIDS, issues that will mean combatting a deeply-rooted stigma.

While much progress has been made to combat HIV and AIDS in Zambia over the last decade, it is still a common reality for too many people. Often, women and girls, who have less autonomy due to culturally-enforced norms, bear the brunt of both the illness and the stigma. While the government provides free medication and testing services, many people fear stigma, rejection, or unknown treatments.

Several Nazarene churches wanted to do something to help; together, they decided to start by talking to married couples in the community. Counselors would work with couples, and volunteers would connect people to HIV and AIDS testing services. This education and support is done with the goal of strengthening families and encouraging them to rethink gender norms to empower women.

The ministry still faces challenges—there is still a deeply engrained hesitance to be tested, and many people see it as unnecessary. But there are stories of hope, too. People are discovering that the church is a safe space to go for help and guidance.

Alice, who participated in a training at a Nazarene church with her husband, explained that they had no template for becoming a strong married couple. They fell into a pattern that excluded her from any decision making. Learning communication techniques is helping them build a stronger marriage.

“When we learned about friendship in marriage, I saw that my husband started treating me as a friend and started sharing his thoughts with me,” Alice says.

This story taken from the latest issue of NCM Magazine.

An Integrated Health Initiative yields Healthy Solutions in Liberia

aheckman — Thu, 28 Apr 2022 20:44:21 +0000

An Integrated Health Initiative yields Healthy Solutions in Liberia aheckman Thu, 04/28/2022 - 20:44

An Integrated Health Initiative yields Healthy Solutions in Liberia

APRIL 28, 2022 · CHET BUSH

Marie Tutu of Liberia had no way of knowing that the way she arranged the dishes in her kitchen would have a direct impact on her children’s health. She, also, could not have known that vectors of disease linked bacteria from the community to her home no matter how clean she kept her family’s living space. When health alliance workers representing the Integrated Health Initiative of Nazarene Compassionate Ministries came to her community in Gompa, Marie learned about strategies for wellness that could protect her family and promote the health of her six children. Now, Marie says she stacks her clean dishes upside down and covers them with linen to protect against insect and airborne disease.

Though this change seems simple, the practice is connected to a broader system of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) solutions that position families in Gompa, Liberia, and beyond, to live longer and healthier lives. NCM’s Integrated Health Initiative promotes these health solutions by facilitating partnerships between clinical and community health services in five countries in Africa: Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, and Zambia. As an expression of the ministry of Jesus, this initiative works through local churches to strengthen existing health networks, thereby equipping members of the community to drive the solutions for public health, themselves.

Health volunteers

Marie’s kitchen organization, therefore, fits within a broader system that works to establish and protect clean water sources, build sanitary latrine facilities, clear play areas for children, and develop the terrain for safe water drainage. That simple act of protecting her dinnerware protects Marie and her family from bacteria spread through contaminated drinking water, open defecation, stagnant wet spaces, and overgrown play areas, all aspects over which she may not have immediate control. As more and more households employ the alliance’s solutions, however, WASH methods systematically challenge the spread of infection and disease. And residents have embraced a core value in the mission of the Integrated Health Initiative: by focusing on children and mothers' health, these innovative methods yield positive results for the entire community.

Vocational skills training