About
Kikori District Hospital, formerly known as Bagema Health Centre, is a government health facility now currently managed by Gulf Christian Service (GCS) since officially taking over in 1996.
Mission
To see the communities of the Gulf Province become more like “as it is in heaven” by modelling this in the Christ-Centred services of Education and Health, so that God is glorified.
Our approach
To be the light on the hill to the community of Kikori, and thereby aiming to not just be the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff.
Current staffing
3 doctor positions (vacant)
1 Health Extension Officer
14 Nursing Officers (PNG nationals), and recruiting
29 Community Health Workers
1 Medical Lab Assistant (MLA)
1 Radiography Assistant
Services
Kikori Hospital provides curative health Services, with 80 plus inpatient beds. Our wards include the labour/delivery, general ward, surgical ward and TB (tuberculosis) ward. We also have a 24-hour outpatient department for emergencies, as well as an operating theatre.
Medical ward (general ward)
This unit caters for both adult and pediatric patients (including 12 beds in each wing). The most common reasons for admission are respiratory disease (e.g. pneumonia, tuberculosis), followed by gastrointestinal disease (e.g. amoebic, gastroenteritis). Our acute cases are admitted to this ward, including acute TB patients who are stabilised here, before being transferred to our TB ward. We have approximately six staff working in this ward on any given day.
ADULT WING/TB WING
This wing is subdivided, in which one quarter is specifically used for our tuberculosis sputum positive patients (4 beds). There are a total of 10 beds available for our extra-pulmonary tuberculosis patients, and patients with other medical conditions (totalling up to 14 beds).
PAEDIATRICS WING
This wing is reserved for our paediatric patients (10 beds), although some adults are moved here when the adult wing capacity is exceeded.
Surgical ward.
This unit caters for all trauma cases (e.g. fractures, wounds, and other injuries), skin diseases and snake bites. It caters for both adult and pediatric patients. Unfortunately, many of our trauma cases are due to domestic violence under the influence of alcohol.
The surgical ward consists of two wings, including 10 pediatric beds and 14 adult beds.
Tuberculosis (TB) ward
Our TB ward admits all types of TB cases, both adult and pediatric. Newly admitted TB patients remain in-house for the first two months of their treatment, after which they are discharged with their medication in hand. Unfortunately TB follow-up has proven to be a challenge, due to limited staff occupancy and funding.
Obstetrics & Gynecology
This ward caters for all our antenatal and post antenatal mothers, including women with general gynecological problems. We attend to approximately 300-500 supervised deliveries annually.
Our acute wing of the unit includes seven beds, while our postnatal wing includes six cubicles for our patients in confinement after delivery. We admit all women in labour, all women with a birth before arrival, any gynaecological problems, antenatal women with a high-risk pregnancy, or antenatal women at term and without wantoks nearby. We also admit neonates (babies below 4 weeks old) with any neonatal issues. We occasionally admit cases involving violence and rape, in which women or girls need security whilst undergoing counselling by our female staff.
We have a maximum of four staff working in this ward on any given day, with a nursing officer or midwife in charge.
Family health services
Our family health service clinic is a clinic which provides daily services on weekdays, and is located at the extended far end of our obstetric ward. In this clinic we attend to patients who present with any issues regarding family or reproductive health, as well as a baby clinic which provides immunisation to infants and children.. Five days of the week are allocated for these activities as below:
Monday: Immunisations and well-baby clinic.
Tuesday: Antenatal enrollment for new antenatal women.
Wednesday: Family and reproductive health.
Thursday: antenatal clinic for reattendance.
Friday: All of the above.
Aims of the family health service:
- To reduce outbreaks of treatable disease in children by immunising our infants and children.
- For antenatal women to attend at least 4 visits, for early detection of high-risk pregnancies and to minimise complications during labour.
- To provide appropriate and patient-specific family planning methods.
- To provide friendly and welcoming services for this important population.
Outpatients
Our outpatient unit is subdivided into two main areas, the Out Patient Department (OPD) and Accident & Emergency. Other coordinated services are also conducted here, such as doctor’s consultation clinic, dental clinic, and pre-employment medical evaluations.
Our OPD caters for curative and preventive Health Services, for both our adult and paediatric populations. Accident and Emergency provides services for adults and pediatrics, in more acute circumstances where immediate care is to be provided. Triaging is performed on all patients, depending on the severity of their complaints upon presentation.
The aim of these two units combined, is to provide the best health services, based on the PNG National Health Service Standards and practices. We are fully equipped to deliver services 24 hours per day to our catchment area.
Check out what the team has been doing this year
Our culture
Our staff are rostered on three shifts (day, evening and night).
Each day after our morning briefings, we engage in devotions and health education with our patients. This is considered an essential part of our work to provide Christ-centered services to our population. We always aim to maintain high standards for staff conduct and patient care at Kikori Hospital.
Latest Stories
A Race Against Time: The Karati Snakebite Rescue
Thursday, March 13th, 2025, began like any other in the remote village of Karati, Papua New Guinea. But by midday, a life hung in the balance. A 30-year-old mother, breastfeeding her nine-month-old child, had been bitten by a venomous snake.
STICKS AND STONES
In the heart of Korovake village, nestled within the vast Purari delta of Gulf Province, young Calvert Aua could often be found playing with his friends. Their favourite pastime is a game called Gemo, a fast-paced activity that combines agility and strategy. One sunny afternoon, Calvert, energetic and spirited, was engrossed in a particularly intense game.
Specialist eye surgery
Bringing basic health services to these widely scattered people is very challenging. Bringing Specialist services to the people is even more challenging. There are no regular specialist services currently available in the Province and people have to travel to the capital Port Moresby for treatment.
Like every tropical country, eye disease and blindness from Cataracts are common amongst the elderly population.
On December 1 2023, a Specialist Eye Surgery Team left Port Moresby and travelled by small plane and dinghy to Kapuna Hospital. Kapuna is a small Rural hospital set in the middle of the Gulf Delta. It is small and isolated and serves very scattered population.
Eyes to see
My name is Kailin Nou’wauó
I come from Haia on the border of Chimbu and Gulf provinces.
For a long time, I suffered with pain in my eyes and with headaches. One day I was carrying a load of sago and bamboo and fell from the steps of our bush house. I was suffering so my brother took me to Wabo, while staying at Wabo the pain in my eyes and my suffering became worse.
Crocodile Attacks in Gulf
Over the last few months, there have been four crocodile attacks in the Baimuru District, three of which were fatal but not Mr Ishmael Kaipa who escaped with his life.
Want to get our updates?
We put out a quarterly update of what God has been doing in the life of our people throughout GCS, with some of the highlights, things that are encouraging us and some prayer needs. So come along on the journey with us and join the wider family.