The reason there are 26 letters in the alphabet is that when Plan A and B fail…..you have 24 letters left!!!
One of the core ingredients you have to have when you are on a health expedition is the ability to remain flexible when things change and this team had it in spades. Flight rescheduling, rough seas and an ever changing itinerary did nothing to dent the enthusiasm and success of the July 2019 team as it cared for in excess of 500 patients in all of the villages on our patrol route.
This team came from QLD, ACT and Victoria and had an ideal mix of clinical skills. We were able to source stocks of pharmaceuticals from the Area Medical Store in Port Moresby with permission from The Secretary of Health (Great work Jo!!) and purchase most of what was not available there from the City Pharmacy. The team visited the villages of Vovo and Orotoba on this expedition and these communities turned out in droves as did all the communities we visited.
The highlight of the expedition was the continued participation of the village health volunteers who have developed their skills to an amazing level and have formed their own association to support and drive their own growth and coordinate their activities in partnership with the staff at the Tufi Health Centre.
Unfortunately there was the death of a very sick woman in the village of Jebo while we were their however later that night our team were called to a hut and they helped deliver a beautiful baby girl into the world who is named “Roni” after our own Dr Ronit. This was a beautiful end to our expedition and a reminder about how the circle of life operates in all our worlds.
Stewart Kreltszheim
[email protected]
One of the core ingredients you have to have when you are on a health expedition is the ability to remain flexible when things change and this team had it in spades. Flight rescheduling, rough seas and an ever changing itinerary did nothing to dent the enthusiasm and success of the July 2019 team as it cared for in excess of 500 patients in all of the villages on our patrol route.
This team came from QLD, ACT and Victoria and had an ideal mix of clinical skills. We were able to source stocks of pharmaceuticals from the Area Medical Store in Port Moresby with permission from The Secretary of Health (Great work Jo!!) and purchase most of what was not available there from the City Pharmacy. The team visited the villages of Vovo and Orotoba on this expedition and these communities turned out in droves as did all the communities we visited.
The highlight of the expedition was the continued participation of the village health volunteers who have developed their skills to an amazing level and have formed their own association to support and drive their own growth and coordinate their activities in partnership with the staff at the Tufi Health Centre.
Unfortunately there was the death of a very sick woman in the village of Jebo while we were their however later that night our team were called to a hut and they helped deliver a beautiful baby girl into the world who is named “Roni” after our own Dr Ronit. This was a beautiful end to our expedition and a reminder about how the circle of life operates in all our worlds.
Stewart Kreltszheim
[email protected]
