PNG Takes Step Toward New Medical University with Opening of UPNG Hall
Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape says the country is laying the foundation for a dedicated medical university, following the opening of a multipurpose hall at the UPNG School of Medicine and Health Sciences in the nation’s capital.
The development follows Parliament’s approval last October of legislation establishing the University of Medicine and Health Sciences, marking a shift in the direction of the country’s medical education sector. Marape said the new facility symbolised a turning point for PNG’s health workforce.
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| PNG Takes Step Toward New Medical University with Opening of UPNG Hall |
He commended UPNG Chancellor Sir Robert Igara and Executive Dean Prof. Nakapi Tefuarani for driving the transition. “This milestone is a reminder of what can be achieved when we move together in the direction our nation must take,” he said.
Marape said PNG urgently required a larger pool of medical professionals, with the country’s doctor-to-patient ratio still far below global standards. He said the new university must be developed quickly to respond to pressing national health needs.
He stressed that the government wanted the institution fully functional before 2030, adding that the planned reforms would help recruit and train the thousands of doctors the country urgently requires. Increased enrolments and expanded academic capacity would follow, he said.
The Prime Minister also highlighted the strategic benefit of keeping the medical university closely linked with Port Moresby General Hospital, noting both their proximity and professional alignment. Upgrading the hospital to Level 7 remained a priority.
“Let this campus grow,” Marape said. “We need our own medical university, and our government gives its full commitment to ensuring it becomes a reality.”
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