By BETTY GABRIEL WAKIA - The National
HELA has lost one of its most dedicated, committed, and humble public servants in James Tawila Wagiebu who was the most qualified Papua New Guinean echo-cardiographer also known as an echo tech or heart technician.
Echocardiography is a term mostly used by doctors or nurses who study an ultrasound of the human heart which shows the size and shape of the heart and how well the heart’s chambers and valves work by using the echocardiogram machine. The late James Wagiebu was the only qualified Papua New Guinean who knows how to use the machine.
Most Papua New Guineans who had gone to Port Moresby General Hospital (PMGH) to check up on their heart or students who had been to University of Papua New Guinea Medical School (UPNG) might see or know a bit about Wagiebu. He was the only practicing echocardiography (ECG) technician in the country with Sir Budi Kidu Heart Institute of the PMGH who serves thousands of Papua New Guineans. He also served hundreds of UPNG students by taking part in teaching basic echo and ECG to fourth year medical students and post graduates nursing students, and also assists doctors with research studies for postgraduate masters and undergraduate medical students for BMS.
Wagiebu comes from the Pari clan of the Pandu village in the South Koroba district of Hela. He was a pioneer in education from his village to become the first Papua New Guinean echo technician. All his families and relatives did not know what he did or what his work was all about until hearing from Prof Sir Kevau during the funeral service.
It was a huge surprise to his families, tribes and Hela communities when the late Wagiebu’s colleague and family friend Prof Sir Isi Kevau announced at his funeral that Wagiebu was the only echo technician in the country.
He has been outspoken about the importance of echocardiography and talking to the Health Department to train Papua New Guineans to take up echocardiography but that had never eventuated until his sudden passing on Sept 20 this year, which has affected the operation of the ECG room at PMGH to a sudden stop.
The ECG room at PMGH was shut down for a couple of weeks now whilst searching for someone from overseas to replace him.
Most Papua New Guineans who had gone to Port Moresby General Hospital (PMGH) to check up on their heart or students who had been to University of Papua New Guinea Medical School (UPNG) might see or know a bit about Wagiebu. He was the only practicing echocardiography (ECG) technician in the country with Sir Budi Kidu Heart Institute of the PMGH who serves thousands of Papua New Guineans. He also served hundreds of UPNG students by taking part in teaching basic echo and ECG to fourth year medical students and post graduates nursing students, and also assists doctors with research studies for postgraduate masters and undergraduate medical students for BMS.
Wagiebu comes from the Pari clan of the Pandu village in the South Koroba district of Hela. He was a pioneer in education from his village to become the first Papua New Guinean echo technician. All his families and relatives did not know what he did or what his work was all about until hearing from Prof Sir Kevau during the funeral service.
It was a huge surprise to his families, tribes and Hela communities when the late Wagiebu’s colleague and family friend Prof Sir Isi Kevau announced at his funeral that Wagiebu was the only echo technician in the country.
He has been outspoken about the importance of echocardiography and talking to the Health Department to train Papua New Guineans to take up echocardiography but that had never eventuated until his sudden passing on Sept 20 this year, which has affected the operation of the ECG room at PMGH to a sudden stop.
The ECG room at PMGH was shut down for a couple of weeks now whilst searching for someone from overseas to replace him.
James Wagiebu’s education was influenced by his late mother Wagubi Katia, a village woman who had no knowledge of what education was, fought her way for her son to be enrolled at Koroba Community School in 1966 to 1972 and he went onto do grade seven to 10 at Tari High School in 1973 to 1976. In 1977 to 1980 he attended Mt Hagen School of Nursing and in 1981 he went onto do matriculation studies at UPNG.
He and two others, Ruben Mari from Wanigela and Ken Kama from Samarai were the pioneers in the field of health science who called themselves ‘The Three Musketeers’. In 1992, late Wagiebu was the first Papua New Guinean to study echocardiography at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney, Australia followed by Ruben Mari who became the second Papua New Guinean and Ken Kama went onto study medical technology at London Biomedical Institute of Technology in United Kingdom.
These faithful and humble men from Papua who were committed to their profession -‘The Three Musketeers’ – have quietly been serving the eight million-plus people of Papua New Guinea.
The late James Wagiebu is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter. He was laid to rest on Wednesday, Oct 23, 2019
He and two others, Ruben Mari from Wanigela and Ken Kama from Samarai were the pioneers in the field of health science who called themselves ‘The Three Musketeers’. In 1992, late Wagiebu was the first Papua New Guinean to study echocardiography at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney, Australia followed by Ruben Mari who became the second Papua New Guinean and Ken Kama went onto study medical technology at London Biomedical Institute of Technology in United Kingdom.
These faithful and humble men from Papua who were committed to their profession -‘The Three Musketeers’ – have quietly been serving the eight million-plus people of Papua New Guinea.
The late James Wagiebu is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter. He was laid to rest on Wednesday, Oct 23, 2019
Go to this link for more: https://www.thenational.com.pg/people-4/
