The Bachelor of Health Sciences (Rural Health) program is designed to equip students with the most current knowledge, skills, appropriate behaviours and attitudes to deliver an acceptable level of clinical healthcare, public health, administrative and management skills.
The medical program places a special emphasis on training healthcare givers who can work with limited resources and often in the most isolated areas.
The program focuses on preparation for clinical and administrative practices in the rural areas of Papua New Guinea where health services are at most times neglected.
The HEOs are responsible for patient care, the administration of the local health centre, and the coordination of community health services in the rural and rugged terrains of PNG.
Through the national Health Extension Program, HEWs are recruited among high school graduates in local communities, and undergo a one-year training program to deliver a package of preventive and basic curative services that fall under four main components: hygiene and environmental sanitation; family health services; disease prevention and control; and health education and communication.