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LIFE IN A PROGRAMME
MISSION AVIATION FELLOWSHIP
HOPE DELIVERED
VOL.3 NO.2 2020
“...but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31
STORY BY HANNAH GARDENER AND PHOTOS BY SDP’S AERIAL HEALTH PATROL
“In our struggle you arrived...and That is, until now… removed some of those struggles.” On 10 May, in the midst of this Morehead, a district centre situated challenging time, an MAF plane, loaded in the lowlands of Papua New with SDP’s Aerial Health Patrol (AHP) Guinea’s Western Province, is home team members and abundant medical to a healthcare centre suffering from supplies (including PPE and antiprolonged depletion of supplies venom), landed in remote Morehead. and morale. Twenty years without AHP’s customary introductory desperately needed anti-venom is just meeting was followed by COVID-19 one supply shortage these healthcare awareness activities, outpatient clinics, immunisations, and trainings for health workers face. workers on COVID-19, snake bites, As if this weren’t enough, they now infection control, and family planning. face the challenge of providing healthcare in a pandemic without Morehead health workers were so proper personal protective equipment grateful for the COVID-19 awareness (PPE). One nurse summed up the and PPE supplies such as masks, staff’s sorrow over their inability to gloves, and hand sanitiser. One nurse give personal, hands-on treatment shared, “When you came today with during the pandemic: “Within this masks, you allowed us to work with our period of time we are not friends with patients…when you did the COVID-19 our patients because we are fearing to awareness, it cleared up the confusion.” treat patients without PPE.” The end of the day found Morehead
health workers anticipating the next day’s return to the health centre, armed with proper PPE. So, on 11 May, the healthcare staff happily donned their masks and gloves and returned to the health centre to give the hands-on patient care they value so much. These heartfelt words from a Morehead health centre staff say it all: “You relieved our fears…and enlightened our spirit…we don’t know what to say but only to thank you all.”
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Page 10: MAF PNG screen all passengers on the plane as part of preventative measures. Page 11: The MAF PNG team helps the community by repairing a generator for them.
VOL.3 NO.2 2020
MISSION AVIATION FELLOWSHIP
LIFE IN A PROGRAMME
11
