• Individual plans
• Family plans
• Group plans
• Travel plans
• Teacher plans

Papua New Guinea Health Insurance

Nestled just under the equator and just above Australia, Papua New Guinea's weather varies as widely as its terrain. In low lying areas it is perennially hot and humid, but the highlands experience rare snowfall, almost unheard of for this latitude anywhere in the world, and quite telling of the extreme vertical changes that are common in Papua New Guinea. Regarding natural features as well, Papua New Guinea is extremely diverse. Over 600 islands, large and small feature magnificent deserted beaches, some well preserved coral reefs, jutting rugged mountains in the highlands with some of the world's only equatorial glaciers, several active volcanoes, vast wetlands surrounding the river deltas, and dense rain forests. Scientist agree that Papua New Guinea is one of the least explored regions in the world and new species of plants and animals are still being discovered regularly.

Due to its remote nature, tribal life is still quite common and Papua New Guinea is one of the least developed nations in the world. Over 85 percent of the population live in rural areas and villages, practicing subsistence farming and fishing to eek out a living. It is also one of the world's poorest nations, despite numerous natural resources. The national languages are English, Pigeon, and Hiri Motu but over 850 dialects are spoken by its 6.5 million inhabitants belonging to over 1,000 documented ethnic tribes, this adds to the segmented nature of the small societies. Further proof of the undeveloped nature of Papua New Guinea according to Marianna Torgovnick, in her 1991 book Gone Primitive: Savage Intellects, Modern Lives, she states, "The most fully documented instances of cannibalism as a social institution come from New Guinea, where head-hunting and ritual cannibalism survived, in certain isolated areas, into the fifties, sixties, and seventies, and still leave traces within certain social groups." Thankfully, cannibalism is believed to be a thing of the past, however violence between warring tribes is still regularly occuranging throughout Papua New Guinea and one of the leading causes of death among the adult population.

Papua New Guinea Healthcare System

Hygiene among the general population is very poor, primarily due to insufficient education, approximately 40 percent never attend school, and clean water and sanitary sewer systems are rare. Running water is available in cities, and some buildings have flushing toilets, though service outages of water and electricity are very common, even in hospitals. Rural areas are still in bush standards, with no running water or sewer and usually no electricity. As a result of these living conditions, as well as the hot moist weather and abundance of flies, infectious diseases spread easily. Cholera outbreaks, both in rural and metropolitan areas have claimed several lives in recent years and doubtless many more were not reported or diagnosed. Malaria, typhoid, tuberculosis, dengue fever and HIV/AIDS are common. Betel nut is widely used and therefore mouth and throat cancers are common as well.

Papua New Guinea's medical insurance scheme and government provided health system is a story of many ideas but little action. With help from the World Health Organization and numerous assisting countries, laws and initiatives have been put in writing to provide better health for the population. Sadly, implementation has been sporadic at best. Corruption, conflicting legislation, and a general lack of funds have resulted in a health care system that exists almost exclusively in name only. As a result, government spending on health care needs is less that 3 percent of the national budget. The pleadings of the United Nations to improve the quality of care available to the populous as well as take actions to stem the constant ethnic fighting in Papua New Guinea has been largely ignored by the government. Thus, medical insurance for health care remains on a private basis only and the public often resorts to violence to sort out disagreements. A further impediment to good health are the superstitions and suspicion held by some tribal natives toward modern medicine, which then is avoided, and the alternative treatments that are used sometimes do more damage than good.

While the three public hospitals in Papua New Guinea do receive limited government funding, they rely heavily on outside charity groups and other nations, particularly Australia for assistance. These hospitals and clinics are faced with frequent power outages, lack of medicines, poor hygiene and cleanliness and often little experience in modern methods of treatment. Some organizations have put forth great effort to donate improved medical care facilities, but these quickly fall into disrepair due to lack of maintenance from severe neglect, overcrowding, and poor funding. Port Moresby General Hospital Hospital is considered the best hospital in the country, but is a far cry from western standards and is only able to offer basic care. In rural areas, what little health care is available is often from religious organization's outreach programs or missions and foundations such as Doctors Without Borders. While these groups' efforts are noble, they too are commonly without medicines and equipment due to governmental corruption or remoteness of location.

On a positive note, the long abandoned and vacant Pacific International Hospital, in Port Moresby, was recently purchased by a group of physicians who have renamed the facility Port Moresby Private Medical Specialist Centre and announced in July, 2011 that they plan to renovate the facility and offer privately funded services. When opened, they claim it will be staffed by experienced, foreign trained physicians, and offer “super-specialty” services, which are currently not available in Papua New Guinea. If this becomes a reality it will be a huge step forward for Papua New Guinea's medical and health care availability. Minor repairs have already begun and basic services are now offered. Subsequent phases include plans for a trauma center, cardiac care, a diabetes center, neurology services, MRI capabilities, and even plastic surgery.

No domestic form of Papua New Guinea medical insurance applies to foreign visitors or travelers, therefore foreign sourced health insurance and medical coverage are strongly urged for all traveling to Papua New Guinea as almost all major accidents or illnesses will require air-evacuation to Australia or, time permitting, your home country to receive necessary treatment.

Papua New Guinea Travel Advice

Travel within Papua New Guinea is difficult. Paved roads are crumbling at best, and when roads are available in rural areas, they are usually deeply rutted and often flooded or destroyed by landslides. Other hazards include very poorly maintained vehicles, severe overloading by passengers and cargo, drivers are often drunk or under the influence of hallucinogenic drugs or herbs, and traffic rules are practically non-existent. As the road way network does not cover the entire country, air travel is commonly the only way to reach some areas. This too has its perils, as light aircraft crashes are common. The limitedness of the transport network within Papua New Guinea should not be underestimated, as it will present a major difficulty should an emergency arise when travelers are not near a hospital.

Another word of caution, automobile accidents are no light matter in Papua New Guinea, if not severely injured, it is best not to stop at the scene of the crash but rather to drive immediately to the police station, divulge all information to them, and request their protection if the accident involves a local, his vehicle, or his belongings. Locals often become very hostile when any damage is done to them or their belongings and violence can break out quickly, often even from uninvolved bystanders, resulting in stoning or burning of the automobile that they feel is in the wrong and sometimes physical violence toward the assumed guilty party. Much of this action is in hopes of financial gain, so foreigners are common targets. It is best to leave the scene and await police assistance. Further, without an ambulance service, it is up to the injured to make their way to a clinic or hospital. In the case of a serious injury, air evacuation is usually necessary. Foreign sourced Papua New Guinea health insurance packages are invaluable in these events.

Crime is very high, both petty theft and violent crime. Women are often targets for rape and abuse and should never travel alone. There is a long history of poor treatment of females in Papua New Guinea and while light is being shed on the issue, change is slow in coming. Additionally due to the occurrence of kidnapping of travelers by organized crime rings in search of ransom, particularly westerners, it is best that they consider traveling in groups or with an escort whenever possible, especially in cities, where criminal activity is highest.

Papua New Guinea Expat Health Insurance

Given the mountainous geography and poor infrastructure, accessability to healthcare can be a serious issue in Papua New Guinea. Expat health insurance can provide cover for medical evacuations and repatriations as well as having high benefit levels. Given the number of unknowns when traveling to Papua New Guinea, whether short term or for permanent relocation, it is comforting to know that international medical insurance is available for you, your family, or travel group to protect you in case of emergency. Various levels of health coverage are available to fit any travel plans, length of stay, location, and budget for Papua New Guinea. Expat health insurance that our insurance experts at Global Health Insurance can advise you on provide a number of coverage options to suit your stay and our advisors are ready to assist you free of charge to find the health insurance coverage that is right for you, should you choose to travel to Papua New Guinea or anywhere else in the world.