For the remote villages of Enga Province in Papua New Guinea, the only way people can receive more advanced medical care is through a regular MAF flight known as the ‘aerial health patrol’.
Story by Aquila Matit
“This patrol is the only link we have to reach our rural communities,” said Philomina Baking.
From the coastal town of Rabaul in East New Britain, Philomina is a volunteer dentist at Kompiam District Hospital. She participated in a two-day aerial health patrol to the village of Yambaitok, with the support of Mission Aviation Fellowship.
“I don’t know how these people would get help without aerial patrols, especially in places like Yambaitok,” she said. “I deeply appreciate the work MAF is doing to bring such services to our rural population.”
Kompiam Rural Hospital, along with ten other health centres and aid posts it oversees, lies deep in the remote north of Papua New Guinea’s Enga Province. These isolated facilities not only depend on MAF for supplies and staff positioning flights, but they also rely on MAF to fly in medical teams for outreach patrols.
“On the first day at Yambaitok, I think over 300 people came,” Philomina said. “They came not just from the airstrip area, but from mountain villages and from down the river. They walked long distances to meet the aerial patrol team and get help for whatever sicknesses they have.”
Dr Tim Robinson, Rural Generalist at Kompiam Hospital, explained the patrol’s purpose.
“This patrol includes HIV and AIDS awareness promotion,” he said. “We have a maternal and child health team providing immunisations to the young people of Yambaitok, and a primary health care team running an essentially ‘walk-in’ General Practitioner clinic and emergency clinic.”
The aerial health patrol team’s presence helps with decision-making regarding the care of the sick, Tim explained.
“Coming to Yambaitok means that people who are unsure whether they need to travel to a hospital—or whether they can safely be treated in their community—get good information and guidance on the risks and benefits of spending money to go to hospital. Then they can decide what’s in their best interests.”
“The importance of an aerial health patrol is that it saves lives,” said Patrick Dickson, the community health worker at Yambaitok Health Centre. He provides everyday basic care to the village’s residents and relies on MAF flights to keep his shelves stocked with medicine.
The Kompiam patrols have become a vital source of refuge for remote communities in the region, made possible through a well-established partnership between Enga Baptist Health Services and MAF.
“It has been a real joy to see the partnership between MAF and Kompiam District Hospital grow and develop over the last few years,” Tim added. “It’s a real blessing to these people that these kinds of patrols can occur. It’s great to support those who lack access to the facilities and equipment available in more populated areas.”
The team treated a wide range of conditions.
“We saw a lot of malaria cases, many pregnant women seeking antenatal care, plus fractures, abscesses, skin rashes—and everything that can happen to people happen here in Yambaitok!” Tim said.
