🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea Healthcare Guide
Port Moresby General Hospital is PNG's main facility, supplemented by a small number of private clinics in the capital, but healthcare outside Port Moresby and the few provincial capitals is among the most limited in the world — many Highland and island communities rely on small aid posts staffed by community health workers. If you're travelling beyond the main towns, particularly to the Highlands, Sepik, or outlying islands, a comprehensive personal medical kit and your full medication supply keeps you self-sufficient for a country where the nearest hospital may be a charter flight and several hours away.
Quick facts
- Emergency number: 112
- Healthcare system: mixed
- Average GP visit: $60 USD
- EHIC/GHIC accepted: No
- Language barrier: medium
Healthcare overview
Papua New Guinea’s healthcare is extremely limited outside Port Moresby. Pacific International Hospital (private) and Port Moresby General Hospital are the main facilities. The Highlands (Mount Hagen, Goroka) have basic hospitals, but most of the country’s 600+ islands and remote communities rely on aid posts and health centres with minimal equipment. Medical evacuation to Australia is the standard response for serious cases. Having your health summary saved and accessible offline is worth doing, as connectivity outside Port Moresby is unreliable.
Pacific International Hospital
Pacific International Hospital in Port Moresby is PNG’s best-equipped facility, with some specialist departments and international patient capabilities.
Highlands and island remoteness
The Highlands, Sepik, and most islands have basic health posts only. Evacuation to Port Moresby or directly to Australia may require charter aircraft.
Vaccinations
Recommended
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B
- Typhoid
Prescriptions and pharmacies
Port Moresby’s pharmacies carry basic medications, but stock is limited and unreliable. Outside the capital, pharmacy access is minimal or nonexistent. Carry your complete medication supply for the entire trip, including first aid items, antimalarials, and any basics you might need.
Complete supply required
PNG’s pharmaceutical supply chain is limited. Carry everything you could need, including common items like rehydration salts and antiseptics.
Tips for travellers
Pacific International Hospital provides some specialist care, but complex chronic conditions exceed local capacity and require evacuation to Cairns or Brisbane (Australia). Having your full treatment protocol and medication list saved and accessible offline means Australian specialists can continue your care on arrival, which matters since evacuation often bypasses the usual intake process.
Cairns and Brisbane evacuation
Most medical evacuations from PNG route to Cairns (closest Australian city) or Brisbane. Having records ready speeds up the arrival process.