Primary Health Care in PNG!

This weekend will mark the last opportunity for a post-office for the next couple of months; so we thought we would update you on our adventures so far. One week down and PNG has already lived up to its name as “the land of the unexpected”. We are having an amazing time.

All arrived safely in Kerema, stepping off a tiny 19 seat plane and being greeted by at least 35 kids in traditional-wear, welcoming us to their town with singing, dancing and frangipani necklaces. Such hospitality and welcome has blessed and overwhelmed us since. Today we even made a chocolate cake over the fire!!

We spent some of the initial evenings at the Governor’s House, where we were once again welcomed and we presented the Ship Tour and video, which was very accepted and received with open arms. Last Sunday we were also introduced to the church congregation and two from our team gave testimonies. On our first night here there was a crusade with singing and dramas and it was there we were first introduced to the town at large. We were invited to pray as honoured guests.

Tuesday began our adventures as volunteers in Kerema Hospital. We were all divided into pairs and each pair rotated one day in each ward. The different wards consisted of: Obstetrics and Gynecology, Surgery, Outpatients and General. It was a phenomenal experience for us all, the nurses and doctors were lovely and helpful, we all learnt a lot and were given great opportunities to put our health care skills into practice.

Obstetrics and Gynecology saw us witnessing and assisting in two births, treating a lady who had been bleeding after a village abortion for two months, making milk powder for hungry babies and packing gauze for the supply room.
Surgery saw us witness the removal of a groin hernia, three women had their fallopian tubes tied, a man having a cyst removed from his cheek and Hannah having the honour of doing 50 loads of washing.

In Outpatients we worked alongside the nurses, writing prescriptions, diagnosing patients, taking temperatures, giving injections, allocating medication and giving suppositories.

In the General ward we dressed wounds, gave injections, administered medication and took many photos in our face masks as we worked in the tuberculosis ward. The whole week was eye-opening and unforgettable.

The most unexpected twist by far being the Tsunami warning we received around 10.30am, Thursday. A man with a siren and a mega-phone seemingly announced to the world a tsunami was coming at 11am, and so, with the rest of Kerema’s population we dropped what we were doing and joined the tide of people heading for high ground. We did stop home briefly to grab “essentials” ie. Passports, water-filters, plane tickets, soap, doxy, cameras, water bottles and most importantly for our shiny, white skin SPF 50+ sunscreen. We joined the town at the top of the hill, praying and making videos as everyone stood and looked at the silly white girls who busted out a picnic and game of go-fish in the midst of the panic.

Fear did grip the population and so we took it upon ourselves to relax and spread calmness – and needless to say the time of the estimated hit came and went. Eventually over the loud-speaker, it was announced we could go home.
Aside from the hospital we’ve spent our time taking trips to the markets, exploring nearby villages and picking out material for mari-blouses, which the church ladies are hand-making for us. We are so blessed! Significant time is also spent experimenting with meals, applying insect repellant and chasing enormous spiders from our bedrooms.

Today at the hospital we received a farewell lunch from the staff and presented the Ship Tour video once more; sad to say goodbye, but excited about the adventures to come and what adventures they will be! This past week has been allotted with meetings, which has shaped our plans for the next seven weeks.

On Monday, hopefully…depending on the sea conditions, we will depart via dinghy (two of them), travelling by sea to 13 pre-appointed villages including Baimaru, Kapuna, Karate (by far the team’s favourite name) and ending up in Kikori. The way has been paved for us, both by God and a man named Moses, who arrived back yesterday and has been to all the above villages, preparing them for our arrival. The rough plan is to spend at least one day and one night in each location maybe a week at Kapuna working at the hospital there and judging the rest of the time by the needs. Once at Kikori, we will fly back then to Kerema, spend between 1-2 nights there, then a night in Port Moresby, Cairns the home to Townsville.

The Gulf Region of PNG as we’ve discovered is famous for its remoteness, death adders, cat sized rats, rough seas and crocodiles (the flag even been made up of two crocodiles joining in a circle) – needless to say we are excited.
Please pray for us as we embark, for health and safety primarily, and also for unity, health, courage, resourcefulness and wisdom.
Love,
IPHC Girls xx