Australian Doctors International

Australian Doctors International specialises in Integrated Health Patrols and health in-services, deploying volunteer doctors and health managers to work in partnership with local government and church health providers to deliver unique value through the three-way combination of: 

1) clinical services and public health education delivered to remote and rural populations,
2) patrol based training that exposes health care workers to practical up-skilling opportunities and
3) opportunity for those health care workers to deepen and/or refresh their clinical skills in a niche topic area previously identified as lacking.

ADI is always looking for the opportunity to expand their patrol and in-service model to other areas where it would help strengthen rural and remote health service capacity.

ADI currently runs patrols and in-services in New Ireland and Western Provinces of PNG - volunteer doctors travelling to rural and remote areas of PNG. In New Ireland, the doctor and their partner travel with teams of PNG district health staff including a dental technician, physiotherapist, maternity and child health nurse, eye nurse, sexual health (HIV, STI, PAP) and lab technician.

In Western Province, the team is much smaller with the doctor and their partner travelling with 1-2 Community Health workers and some logistics support.

Both types of patrol team enables mobile, on the spot triage, testing and treatment, with a significant emphasis on training and support to the accompanying local PNG staff.

Time is taken in delivering each service. Team members train local communities, rural health and aid post staff, whilst providing treatment and referral to communities that are rarely visited by health professionals.

The communities spread the word about imminent patrols to maximise their impact whilst travelling. This is health care at the front-line of Australia’s closest neighbour.

Vision: Working for a healthier Papua New Guinea.

Mission: Believing that everyone has the right to health care, ADI provides access to this in rural and remote areas of PNG.

Goals:

• -Deliver and strengthen primary health services to rural communities in PNG.
• -Reduce preventable diseases through public health programs and/or health education and/or health promotion.
• -Increase the capacity of health workers to manage and deliver primary health services through training and education.
• -Demonstrate improvement in health indicators as a result of their activities through the use of a structured monitoring and evaluation framework.