Former nurse awarded for 25-year service
BY LEIAO GEREGA
AN 83-year-old woman who served as a nurse in the pre-Independence era and was a pioneer of the Papuan Medical College, was an award recipient in the New Year’s 2019 honours list last week.
Maori Tabua, from Milne Bay, was invested with the cross of medical service by the Governor-General Sir Bob Dadae.
“I felt so nervous,” she said when she was called to receive the medal.
“Because it was something big and I never really expected it but I’m happy.”
When she first signed up to be a nurse in 1958, Mrs Tabua recalls that she was between 17 and 18 years of age and was among 20 others who graduated from the Papuan Medical College at Taurama.
“It was still the colonial days. I started working in the Territory of Papua,” she said.
Pursuing a career in the early days for any young women was one of those most difficult things to do – something that defied cultural beliefs and norms.
“It was very restrictive and there were parents that didn’t want their girls to go away from them,” she said.
Mrs Tabua had broken through those barriers and has since travelled and served in other parts of the country including the Highlands where she later met her late husband who hailed from Western Province.
She sees education of women today as an important aspect of development.
“We have come a long way. Nowadays the standard of education and nursing are high, even the training you go through but during our days, we were not always exposed to the outside world,” she said referring to the somewhat meager training opportunities given in the early days.
Mrs Tabua was awarded for her 25 years of dedication and service as a nurse in the country. She retired in 1983. She has five children, six grand children and 14 great-grand children.
The post Former nurse awarded for 25-year service appeared first on Post Courier.
Terima kasih karena telah membaca informasi tentang Former nurse awarded for 25-year service . Silahkan membaca berita lainnya.