Chongqing — When baby Rocky was struggling to recover after a colostomy surgery at Port Moresby General Hospital, his mother Tina Roy faced a new challenge: how to care for her newborn son after leaving the hospital.
With limited medical supplies available locally, Rocky’s surgical wound became severely irritated due to leakage around the stoma. To help the family overcome the challenge, Cheng Chen, a neonatologist from Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University (CHCMU) and a member of the 15th Chinese Medical Team to Papua New Guinea, stayed by the bedside, teaching Tina step by step how to clean the wound, protect the skin, and manage postoperative care.
The hands-on guidance not only helped Rocky recover and leave the hospital safely, but also inspired Cheng to establish the hospital’s first newborn family care class, extending professional medical knowledge from hospital wards to local families.
Before discharge, Dr. Cheng Chen poses for a photo with Rocky and his mother, Tina Roy. (Photo: CHCMU)
Rocky was born with persistent abdominal distension and symptoms including poor feeding and low energy. After a series of treatments failed to relieve his condition, Cheng suspected congenital Hirschsprung’s disease. The diagnosis was later confirmed through biopsy after surgery performed by a local pediatric surgeon who had previously trained at CHCMU.
However, postoperative care presented another difficulty. Due to shortages of specialized neonatal medical supplies, the hospital did not have dedicated newborn ostomy bags. Fecal leakage quickly damaged the baby's delicate skin, creating a risk of severe infection.
“Seeing the baby crying in pain and the mother feeling helpless, I knew we needed to do more than treat the disease,” Cheng said. She developed simple protective methods using available materials and repeatedly demonstrated nursing procedures until Tina could independently care for her child.
During her work in the neonatal ward, Cheng realized that many local families faced similar challenges. Many parents lacked basic knowledge of newborn care and struggled to identify warning signs such as low body temperature, rapid breathing or changes in skin color after discharge. Meanwhile, limited medical staff and resources made it difficult for healthcare workers to provide long-term guidance to every family.
To address this gap, Cheng worked with local doctors and nurses at Port Moresby General Hospital to launch a regular newborn family care class in July 2026. Held every two weeks, the program covers newborn emergency signs, kangaroo care, infant massage and breastfeeding guidance. So far, the hospital has organized four sessions, serving more than 50 family members.
Providing on-site guidance to the child’s family on neonatal care skills covered in the training course. (Photo: CHCMU)
Beyond classroom teaching, Cheng continues to provide bedside training on practical skills, including ostomy care, breastfeeding support and neonatal rehabilitation techniques. Local healthcare workers say the program has helped parents become more confident caregivers while easing pressure on medical staff.
Fima Kuman, head nurse of the Port Moresby General Hospital’s neonatal department, said the family care class has created a new model of cooperation between medical teams and families. “When parents learn professional care skills and actively participate in recovery, it improves both treatment efficiency and trust between doctors and patients,” she said.
The initiative represents another step in the Chinese medical team’s long-term effort to build local healthcare capacity in Papua New Guinea. Since previous Chinese medical teams began working in the country, specialists have introduced technologies including neonatal ventilator support, bedside ultrasound and advanced respiratory care training, while continuing to mentor local medical professionals.
Through the newborn family care class, Chinese doctors are not only treating patients but also sharing knowledge that can continue to benefit local communities. For Cheng and her colleagues, the goal is to leave behind sustainable healthcare practices and build a bridge of friendship between China and Papua New Guinea.