Work hand in hand to improve cancer care in resource-limited regions

Submitted by Sr Hassel Agudiyosi

I’m Sr Hassel Agudiyosi, 26years old from Papua New Guinea, currently working with Port Moresby General Hospital. This is my fifth year of working as a registered nursing officer, and my 2nd year of working with the cancer clinic at Port Moresby General Hospital.

My country Papua New Guinea is a low-income country and it is still developing. We have 22 provinces and cancer is now becoming one of the serious health problems across the country. ‘In country’ we don’t have proper facilities to diagnose cancer, only Port Moresby General Hospital has the facility for treating minorities; the majority in 21 provinces in the country don’t have the cancer facility and no proper protocol to treat cancer. Therefore, most of the patients suffer and die without receiving any cancer treatment. Others don’t seek medical attention due to a lack of health services, no basic services such as roads, etc., (the remote parts with no government services at all). Some provinces have a cancer center but no lab to run the test, no chemo drug, no doctors, etc. However, with all basic problems, Team Cancer Papua New Guinea are working hand in hand to give the best they can to those who have cancer by using limited resources available and the holistic approach to individual patients and relatives entering the cancer clinic for help.

Therefore, attending 2022 ICCN under scholarship was the greatest opportunity for me and the nursing team in Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby General Hospital. It wouldn’t be possible for us to attend if these two powerful women were not known to us, Pauline Rose our main mentor and Suzanne Bishaw. These two powerful women give light to Papua New Guinea Cancer Care by exposing us to the world by learning and experiencing care towards cancer and its global effects.

I’m also very pleased to be part of the International Conference Cancer Nursing 2022 (ICCN) and to know the impact of cancer nursing on equitable cancer control worldwide. And be part of the team describing and sharing innovative approaches to nursing education, practice, research, and policy. At the same time, us sharing and know the current status, and barriers from different countries and work together for the solution of each health sector that has an impact on individuals’ environment. Credit goes to the organizing team for ICCN 2022 for a well-organized conference, I myself really enjoy it even if it was midnight, I was fully awake enjoying and learning new things.

With all these, I’m dreaming to be an agent of change and planning to help other nurses in the country to become oncology nurses by extending and delivering the best care to those in town and in the remote places with cancer to at least see medical help and holistic approach from nurses, friends and loved ones. Remind individuals that there is Hope. I will need your greatest support to help me achieve my dream, in terms of training, attachment program, presentation on line and a light a lamp on my feet.