Northern Provincial Hospital (NPH) in Luganville is the second largest hospital in Vanuatu. It serves Vanautu’s northern islands. The hospital has just over 100 beds spread over Medicine, Surgery, Paediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology and TB wards, as well as hosting Outpatients, X-Ray, laboratory and limited ultrasound facilities. There is no CT scanner. Part of the hospital has recently been rebuilt, and opened. Towards the end of 2018 NPH will have its own paediatric anaesthetist and specialist paediatrician.
The Northern Provincial Hospital is on a hill above Luganville, a relatively small town. It is to this community and those in the rural areas surrounding the town, that the hospital provides services. The hospital also serves the people living on other northern islands of Vanuatu such as the Banks islands. The hospital has a collegiate relationship with many charitable overseas organisations receiving specialist volunteer doctors and aid from overseas countries; notably Australia, New Zealand, and China.
NPH has specialty paediatric services with a paediatric surgeon Dr Basil Leodoro onsite, with specialist paediatric surgical teams in plastics & urology from Australia and New Zealand frequently doing surgical missions.
The hospital is on Espiritu Santo, a beautiful island in the northern archipelago of Vanuatu. The island has a reputation for excellent diving and the world’s largest divable wreck, the USS Coolidge, is 800 metres off the coast and o lu 1km from NPH hospital. The hospital also hosts one of two hyperbaric chambers in Vanuatu (it is probably the better of the two facilities for diving medicine) and treats milder diving related illnesses, however, serious medical cases are evacuated to Australia and New Zealand by ProMedical, a dedicated private Antipodean medical extraction service.
Getting there
Although a number of Ocean Liners offer cruises both one way and return trips to Luganville, travelling by plane is the easiest and quickest.
A number of airlines offer regular budget direct return flights from Sydney & Brisbane to Port villa. It is only a 50 minute flight from Port Villa to Santa Pekoa International Airport (also called Espiritu Santa Airport). Air Vanuatu offer two flights a day from Port Villa to Santa Pekoa International Airport for under $350 return. This airport is 5km from Luganville .
Accommodation
If pre-arranged, NPH has a number of dormitory-style and self-contained unit accommodation offered to volunteer doctors & nurses situated on site. There are also many nearby hotels in Luganville to choose from, as well as many leisurely activities to do on the week-end or after a hard days work.
Contacts and Hospital Staff
Anyone interested in volunteering at Northern Provincial Hospital should contact the medical superintendent Dr Andy Ilo Email Dr Andy Ilo +678 7730804 or +678 7742499 . Ms Gerollyn Tagaro is the General Services Manager at NPH. Email Gerollyn Tagaro . The surgeon in charge of NPH is Dr Basil Leodoro . Email Basil Leodoro . The senior O&G registrar is Dr Thomas Sala Vurobaravu. There is currently one locum Gynaecologist Dr Kevin Basili, who will remain until mid 2018. The Nursing Service Manager at NPH is Ms Tousei Lesteour. Email Ms Tousei Lestour.
Medical Registration
DAISI doctors volunteering in Vanuatu must have approved temporary medical registration and have their trip approved by the Ministry for Health Executive Director General (DG) of the Ministry of Health, Mr. George Taleo, and Director of Hospital Curative Services Mr Russell Tamata. Email Mr Russell Tamata.
All applications with supporting documents should be emailed to The Secretary for the Vanuatu Medical Health Board Ms Marageret Solomon Email Margaret Solomon from the Health Practitioner’s Board copying in Sangeeta Robson from the Directorate of Curative and Hospital Services Email Sangeeta Robson.
DAISI currently has a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Health Minister Hon Mr Norris Jack Kalmet and DAISI for a coordinated approach to volunteering in Vanuatu.
