Aerial health patrols are improving vital care for residents around Western Province’s Lake Murray region.
Story by Aquila Matit
The Aerial Health Patrol (AHP) programme is initiated and funded by Sustainable Development PNG (SDP) with MAF serving as a key logistical partner.
In a Lake Murray community with no road access to other towns, local resident Kibsy Daeniya sees the full extent of the health services being brought to his people.
He is the Officer in Charge of the Boboa Station health centre and his area receives regular visits from SDP’s Aerial Health Patrols flown in by MAF aircraft.
The Boboa health centre is the main facility for people living in the catchment area of Lake Murray and the lake communities of PNG’s Western Province.
Kibsy said his family and local people there receive primary health care through the AHP teams who make use of the health centre to serve the river communities.
“This was not done before because the facility was run down, but now the AHP has started providing basic health services through its primary health care programme, which has been a great help,” Kibsy said.
“Basic clinical checks are done here, and people can be checked and treated here. This includes children, clinical checks for pregnant mothers and emergency cases.”
Basic clinical checks are done here, and people can be checked and treated here. This includes children, clinical checks for pregnant mothers and emergency cases
Kibsy explained that with no road access from Balimo, where SDP’s main hub is located, MAF has played a vital role in the success of this aerial service.
“The AHP staff, medical supplies and equipment are brought here by MAF planes, the staff stay here for six-weeks and leave for a two-week break, there is no other way,” he said.
“If they were to travel by dinghy, it would take a couple of days and it would not be safe for them to travel a very long distance to get to Lake Murray with staff, medicines, and medical equipment. Also, for medical emergencies from Lake Murray, MAF does these flights. MAF has been a great help to us.”
SDP has partnered with MAF to deliver the aerial health programme since August 2019 to serve remote communities in Western Province.
“Primary health care has been a challenge in the Western Province. The aerial health patrols bring primary health care to remote communities in many ways,” said Satish Moka, the General Manager of Operations at SDP.
“The AHP teams not only do clinics and treat diseases but also focus on teaching the communities to develop healthy lifestyles through the skilled Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) officers.”
For Kibsy, it is invaluable support.
“The AHP staff go out to the villages in the lake and stay for two days to provide primary health care and then they return. It has been a relief for me and my people to have such a service,” said Kibsy.
With MAF starting up a floatplane operation with SDP as the launch customer, the river communities at Lake Murray now experience service flights right at their doorsteps.
“The floatplane has done medevacs from here to Kiunga, it has brought in medical supplies from Kiunga, and it helps with AHP duties,” said Kibsy.
“It has been flying to and from the villages around the lake, providing medical services to the people. We are happy with the service of the floatplane, and we thank SDP and MAF for this service.”
The float plane services are a joint initiative of SDP and MAF for Western Province.