The first hundred referrals to a new consultation-liaison psychiatric service at the Port Moresby General Hospital, Papua New Guinea.

Research workers in Africa have shown that psychiatric morbidity is widespread, with prevalence rates ranging between 20 and 50% of the primary health care clinic attendance. In September 1987 a new consultation-liaison psychiatric service was started at the Port Moresby General Hospital. The results of a descriptive study of the first hundred referrals to the service are presented and discussed. The sources of referral were internal medicine (83%), general surgery (11%) and obstetrics and gynaecology (6%). There were no referrals from the division of paediatrics in this study. It was concluded that the results have demonstrated acceptance of the consultation-liaison psychiatric service by non-psychiatric specialist colleagues.