In May, Dr Mulusew Melesse began his role as Senior Lecturer in Ophthalmology at the University of Papua New Guinea’s School of Medicine and Health Sciences (UPNG SMHS). Just a few months in, he’s already strengthening the country’s eye health workforce by improving how future eye doctors are trained.
Inspired by personal experience
Dr Mulusew is originally from Ethiopia, where he trained and later taught at the University of Gondar and at Addis Ababa University. His decision to pursue ophthalmology was shaped by personal experience. “I had an elder sister who was blind from trachoma. That sparked my desire to prevent avoidable blindness,” he says.
He was further inspired at medical school when he saw cataract surgery being performed for the first time. “It looked fascinating — so precise and using such advanced technology. Those experiences led me to choose ophthalmology,” he says.
After completing his residency, Dr Mulusew recognised a need for paediatric eye doctord in Ethiopia and, with support from Orbis International, chose to specialise in the field and established the first paediatric ophthalmology clinic which provided advanced eye care to children at Gondar University Hospital.
“Working with children is very rewarding,” he says. “If I restore sight for a child who is blind from cataract, the impact is lifelong. That child may live another 60 or 70 years with restored sight. One paediatric cataract surgery can have the same impact as 10 adult cataract surgeries.”
Dr Mulusew has also led pioneering research on Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP), an emerging cause of childhood blindness. “If it isn’t detected early and treated, the child would become totally blind. That’s an area I’m very interested in.”
Improving training in PNG
Before arriving in Port Moresby, Dr Mulusew was already supporting UPNG’s training programme online. After his arrival, he quickly set about making improvements.
He revised and standardised the curriculum so that modules are taught in a clear sequence. He introduced workplace-based assessments for the first time in PNG ophthalmology training, allowing registrars to receive direct feedback on clinical and surgical skills. He also set up online examinations to better support registrars based in different parts of the country.
Another major step has been the development of a Wet Lab Cataract Surgery Training Curriculum. Using model or animal eyes, registrars can practise surgical techniques repeatedly before moving on to live surgery.
“It’s valuable because trainees can learn in a controlled environment, build muscle memory, and perfect their skills without risking the patient. It builds their confidence and ensures safer outcomes once they start operating on real patients,” he says.
For Dr Mulusew, the most rewarding moments are when he sees his students succeed. “It’s deeply fulfilling to see a registrar take a new skill and apply it in a real-world scenario. When their confidence grows and their skill improves, I know patients are receiving a higher standard of care as a direct result of my teaching.”
Why local training matters
PNG faces an urgent shortage of eye doctors, with only eight provinces out of 22 currently having an eye doctor. Training more local eye doctors is essential to meet demand.
“Training ophthalmologists locally is crucial for sustainable eye care development,” Dr Mulusew explains. “Doctors trained in PNG are familiar with the challenges here and are more likely to stay and serve their communities. By investing in local talent, we can build a long-term workforce committed to the health of their people.”
Looking ahead
Dr Mulusew’s vision is for PNG’s eye health sector to become fully self-sufficient and led by locally trained eye doctors. “My desire is to build a curriculum that is world-class and also perfectly tailored to the unique needs of PNG,” he says. “In the future, we hope to expand into more specialised areas like paediatric ophthalmology, so that every eye care need can be met at home.”
He says teaching is about “planting seeds of knowledge and nurturing them so they can blossom into a self-sustaining forest of talent that serves the community for generations”.
A message to supporters
Dr Mulusew offers his thanks to New Zealand supporters:
“We really appreciate your support – it’s not just funding a project, it’s investing in people’s lives. You are planting the seeds that are already growing a new generation of eye doctors here in PNG, and the impact of your generosity will be multiplied for generations to come.”
