Pitcairn Island Health Centre

                                                      Pitcairn Island Health Centre

Pitcairn Island has a well resourced Health Centre.  The current doctor is Kevin Donovan who came here to Pitcairn Island in 2011 to complete a one year contract with his wife Sharon.  The Pitcairn Island Government finds it difficult to recruit a suitably qualified doctor.  Doctor Kevin Donovan will be replaced by Doctor Peter Carden in September this year. Peter and his wife Maria have lived and worked on Pitcairn Island before. 

Reception area

 

                                                              Doctor Kevin Donovan

 The Health Centre has an x-ray machine and a room that is kept at a cool temperature for storing the medicines.  There is all the usual surgery equipment and dental facilities.  In terms of waiting lists and availability to be seen, Pitcairn Island provides better services than you get back in New Zealand.

Aerial view of Health Centre

 When I applied for the job of coming here to Pitcairn Island as a school teacher one of my first questions at our interview was “Is there a doctor on Pitcairn Island?” When we lived in a remote area of the Highlands of Papua New Guinea I had a burst appendix and peritonitis set in.  I nearly lost my life as Paul did all he could to evacuate me to safety.  From that point on I have not wanted to risk living in an area with no health facilities.