The newly established Mt Hagen School of Nursing is set to start enrolling students this year, marking a major milestone in addressing the long-standing shortage of trained health workers in the Western Highlands Province and the nation as a whole.
College Director Mr. Gabriel Kewa said the initiative began in 2023 with the formation of a working committee, supported by continuous technical advice from the Chimbu School of Nursing.
“This project started after careful planning and consultation. With the guidance and support from Chimbu School of Nursing, we completed all the necessary groundwork and documentation required to establish the college,” Mr. Kewa said.
He explained that Western Highlands had gone more than 50 years without a nursing college, despite growing health service demands in the region.
“There has been a clear need in the health sector. We saw the shortage of health workers and decided to take the initiative to establish a new school of nursing for our people,” he said.
According to Mr. Kewa, land for the institution has already been identified, and infrastructure development is underway.
The working committee formally notified the Department of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (DHERST) and submitted the college’s proposal in 2023.
He said the proposal received positive feedback from the Acting Secretary for DHERST, who acknowledged that Mt Hagen was overdue for a nursing college and granted approval for the project to proceed.
Following the approval, senior DHERST officials, conducted a site visit to Mt Hagen on 26th September 2021.
After the visit, the department advised the working committee that the college could begin student intake in either 2026 or 2027.
Based on that advice, the management decided to commence early preparations and begin accepting applications this year.
“We have already released application forms, and the response has been very encouraging. A large number of students have applied so far,” Mr. Kewa said.
The establishment of the Mt Hagen School of Nursing is expected to significantly strengthen healthcare training and improve access to skilled health professionals in the Western Highlands and surrounding regions.
