Forty-two children underwent specialised cardiac screenings at Mt Hagen Hospital last week, strengthening access to paediatric heart care in Western Highlands Province.

The two-day screening program, conducted on 15 and 16 July, was led by Chief Paediatrician for the National Department of Health and Port Moresby General Hospital, Dr . Cornelia Kilalang, alongside Dr . Kunera Kiromat.

The screening identified two children with complex congenital heart conditions, while two postoperative patients returned for follow-up assessments after successful heart surgeries—one following a Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD) repair and another after a Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) repair.

Three children were identified as requiring further surgical intervention, including one scheduled for PDA ligation and two referred for further assessment for open-heart surgery.

The program also brought reassuring news for 11 families, with their children found to have no heart abnormalities.

Dr Kilalang said early diagnosis remains critical, particularly for children developing pulmonary hypertension, a serious complication associated with congenital heart disease.

"Pulmonary hypertension is a complication we see in many children with heart disease in the Highlands region, especially those with lesions that increase blood flow to the lungs," she said.

"They develop pulmonary hypertension very quickly, and when they do, it is not safe for us to refer them for surgery. These children are instead managed with medications."

Mt Hagen Hospital Paediatrician Dr Ian Kintwa acknowledged the support of the Western Highlands Provincial Health Authority, Air Niugini Limited and BSP Financial Group Limited for making the outreach program possible.

Beyond patient care, the screening clinic also served as an opportunity to strengthen local clinical capacity. Dr Kilalang said Mt Hagen Hospital Paediatrician Dr Clyde Kamo gained valuable hands-on experience during the program.

"Screening has been really good in the sense that we spend most of the time teaching," Dr Kilalang said.

"It's encouraging to see our doctors on the ground able to perform scans with their own machines here. That's a bonus for us."

The outreach program will continue later this month with specialist cardiac screening visits to the Autonomous Region of Bougainville and Madang Province as part of the 2026 national paediatric cardiac screening program.