Expat insurance and health insurance in Papua New Guinea

Port Moresby General Hospital (PMGH), located in the Korobosea district of Port Moresby, is the country's largest hospital and its main referral and teaching centre, affiliated with the University of Papua New Guinea's School of Medicine and Health Sciences; according to Wikipedia it has around 600 beds and covers internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics-gynaecology, intensive care, a cancer centre, a tuberculosis service and international medical evacuation handling. The capital's private sector is complemented by Pacific International Hospital (Taurama, 3 Mile district), a private facility claiming around twenty specialties and 24-hour emergency care, presented by its official website as catering in particular to international patients. According to the World Health Organization (2014 data cited by Wikipedia), the national network comprises seven regional hospitals, nineteen provincial hospitals, eighty-nine district hospitals, 677 health centres and 2,600 health posts to cover a largely rural population; several rural hospitals are reported to have closed due to insufficient supplies. Among the most cited provincial facilities are Angau General Hospital and GM Flores Hospital in Lae (Morobe province), Goroka Hospital (Eastern Highlands), Modilon General Hospital in Madang, Mount Hagen General Hospital (Western Highlands) and Boram Hospital in Wewak (East Sepik).

France Diplomatie describes a healthcare system weakened by regular medicine supply shortages, a limited number of specialist doctors and saturated emergency services; outside Port Moresby, some hospitals experience temporary closures linked to staff shortages, power cuts or fuel supply disruptions. The site also notes, as of the verification date, a risk of water supply disruption in Port Moresby (hygiene recommendations), a rise in measles cases and a resurgence of dengue and malaria in the capital, as well as a polio outbreak reported by local authorities and the WHO, particularly in the Morobe, Madang and Eastern Highlands provinces: valid proof of vaccination is required on entry, and for any stay of more than 4 weeks, proof of vaccination dating back at least 4 weeks is required on leaving the country. Malaria, dengue, chikungunya, zika and Japanese encephalitis circulate depending on area and season, cholera remains possible in Lae and Madang, and tuberculosis shows an infection rate described by France Diplomatie as "extremely high", which strongly recommends the BCG vaccine. The site describes taking out insurance or an assistance contract covering medical expenses and medical evacuation as indispensable, since no medical costs are covered by the embassy; serious cases are most often evacuated to Cairns, Australia, given the limits of local facilities and the country's geographic isolation.

• A visa is required of every French national, including for a short tourist stay: the "Easy visitor permit 60" e-visa, valid for up to 60 days, is applied for online via the Papua New Guinean Immigration and Citizenship Authority portal (evisa.ica.gov.pg). A traditional visa also remains available from an accredited Papua New Guinean embassy, the one responsible for France being located in Brussels.
• Passport valid for at least 6 months after the end of the stay required.
• The online e-visa application requires presenting medical documents attesting a complete Covid-19 vaccination schedule; since Papua New Guinea's health emergency law has been relaxed, vaccination is no longer a legal condition of entry, but providing this proof is recommended to avoid a rejection by local authorities.
• France Diplomatie describes taking out insurance or an assistance contract covering medical expenses and medical repatriation as indispensable, since no costs are covered by the embassy; serious cases are most often evacuated to Cairns, Australia.
• Poliomyelitis: valid proof of vaccination required on entering the country, due to an outbreak reported by local authorities and the WHO, particularly in the Morobe, Madang and Eastern Highlands provinces; for any stay of more than 4 weeks, proof of vaccination dating back at least 4 weeks is also required on leaving.
• Updating vaccines from the French immunisation schedule is recommended (diphtheria, tetanus, poliomyelitis, whooping cough, measles-mumps-rubella); yellow fever is mandatory for travellers coming from endemic areas; hepatitis A and B, typhoid fever and Japanese encephalitis are recommended depending on the length and conditions of the stay; BCG is strongly recommended given a tuberculosis rate described by France Diplomatie as very high.
• Customs: bringing fruit, vegetables, products of animal origin and pets into the country is prohibited.

No bilateral social security agreement between France and Papua New Guinea has been identified. The official lists published by CLEISS only include, for the Asia-Pacific zone, Australia, China, South Korea, India, Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand, the Philippines and Taiwan — Papua New Guinea is not among them. In the absence of any agreement, there is no coordination for healthcare, maternity, old age or family benefits between the two systems.

• No French rights-maintenance form applies in Papua New Guinea.
• Registering with CFE or taking out international private insurance are the only routes to cover recognised by a French system, regardless of profile.
• Access to the public network via Port Moresby General Hospital, or to a private facility in the capital, gives access to the local care network but does not constitute cover recognised in France, nor a substitute for medical repatriation.
• The French Embassy in Port Moresby has no consular section: administrative procedures for French residents in Papua New Guinea fall under the French Consulate General in Sydney (Australia), which has held jurisdiction since 22 August 2015.

• Before departure, whatever the purpose: apply for the "Easy visitor permit 60" e-visa (or the visa suited to your situation) on the official Immigration and Citizenship Authority portal, preparing the recommended Covid-19 vaccination proof to avoid a rejection.
• Take out insurance or an assistance contract covering hospitalisation and medical repatriation, described as indispensable by France Diplomatie, in the absence of any France-Papua New Guinea coordination.
• Before departure: medical consultation or international vaccination centre visit to assess the need for yellow fever vaccination (depending on origin and transit), hepatitis A and B, typhoid fever, Japanese encephalitis and BCG, as well as updating the polio vaccination schedule, since proof of vaccination is required on entering the country.
• For any stay of more than 4 weeks: keep proof of polio vaccination dating back at least 4 weeks, required on leaving the country.
• Before any travel outside Port Moresby: check France Diplomatie's vigilance levels, since safety varies considerably by province (heightened vigilance in major urban centres, formal advisory against except for a compelling reason in the Highlands and Sepik).
• Voluntary enrolment with CFE recommended in the absence of any health coordination.
• As soon as possible after arrival: register with the roll of French nationals living abroad; since the French Embassy in Port Moresby has no consular section, administrative procedures fall under the French Consulate General in Sydney (Australia), which has held jurisdiction since 22 August 2015.