4 MAY 2011: Three lives were saved in one day by an MAF plane in Papua New Guinea (PNG).
Our fleet of 16 aircraft in PNG includes two GA8 Airvans based at the Pioneers Mission hospital at Rumginae, in the Western Province. Doctor Daniel Priest, serving at the hospital, shares this exciting report:
Doctor's report
'On Wednesday night, Ally was bitten by an unidentified snake. The nearby government health centre had a shortage of vital equipment including snake bandages, resuscitation breathing equipment and anti-venom.
Paralysed by venom
'On Thursday morning, a radio call told us about Ally. MAF pilot Matt Painter made immediate preparations for an emergency flight and we set off. It was soon clear that Ally was very unwell, almost completely paralysed from the Taipan venom. Her eyes were closed and she was having trouble breathing. I gave her one vial of anti-venom and put a tube (laryngeal mask) in her throat to assist her breathing. It is always hard to say, but I don’t think she would have been alive if we had landed 20 minutes later.
'It all sounds very clinical so far, but to get the real picture you need to also imagine the heat and humidity, and a hundred people gathered around looking in windows, crying and upset.
'Ally is lying on a wooden bed. There are no beeps or bings, in fact no electricity to power any machine that would want to beep anyway. No phones. No stretcher… we put her on a smaller bed and carried her out the door, over the small creek, across the airstrip to the waiting plane, with an escort of hundreds.
Long labour
'Captain Matt kindly dropped me back at Rumginae and started his usual Thursday run to the east. About an hour later, we needed him to fly even further south to Balimo. The light was becoming dim as the sun set and the leaves in the trees were rustling from the approaching thunderstorm.
'A young lady had been trying to deliver her first baby for more than 24 hours. It was obvious that the best thing for this young lady would be a caesarean section. One stressed little baby boy was delivered close to midnight. Mother and baby are now doing well.
'We continue to praise God for the partnership we have with MAF. Three lives were saved with one plane on that one day. Please pray for MAF. Pray for more pilots and engineers, for enough finances to do this life saving work, for safety and for the people they serve to realise that MAF flies to bring glory to God.'
Post script
Rumginae hospital admitted 34 patients in 2010 with ‘snake bite.’ Other snake bites were treated in their aid posts and health centres. The true number of snake bites in this province must be in the hundreds, and it is unknown how many snake bite deaths occur in the bush.
Ally was so unwell she needed a ventilator for 4 days after the snake bite. She is now well and ready to leave hospital.