Paying tribute, Prime Minister James Marape said Dr Calvert's legacy spanned 64 years of tireless commitment to Papua New Guinea.
A devoted practitioner, she served the nation until her retirement in 2007 and her work has been continued by her daughter, Dr Valerie Archer, who is presiding over the work at Kapuna Rural Hospital in the remote swampland of Gulf Province.
Originally from New Zealand, Dr Calvert, alongside her late husband, Dr Peter Calvert, relocated to Kapuna in 1954. Their enduring dedication led to the establishment of Kapuna Hospital, a beacon of hope for the community. Following her husband's death in 1982, Dr Lin Calvert assumed leadership, managing the hospital for two decades.
"Her gentle spirit and unwavering commitment to others made her a true angel among us. Her life exemplified selfless service, embodying the very essence of Christian values. Leaving behind her birthplace and family, she embraced Papua New Guinea as her own, becoming an integral part of Gulf Province's extended family.
"Her legacy as a resident surgeon, gynaecologist, anaesthetist, and paediatrician, spanning over six decades of service, enriched the fabric of Gulf Province's health sector," Marape said.
At the time of her retirement in 1993, Dr Calvert had 15 grandchildren and 19 great-grand-children who live in Australia, Sudan, China, Canada, the Channel Islands and New Zealand. Although they are widely scattered, members of the extended family pitch in and help whenever they can.
Dr Calvert is called ‘Bubu Mei' (grandmother) by locals.
Built by the London Missionary Society (LMS) in 1949, Kapuna Hospital was funded by an anonymous UK donor. Local carpenters and a New Zealand builder constructed four thatch-roofed ‘wards' connected by a verandah, and Australians, Dr Neville and Pat Anderson, started the work.
