Mercy hike saves pregnant woman

MEDICOS from Townsville, Australia, hiked through thick jungle and waded through mud in the Gulf to help a pregnant woman on the brink of death to deliver twins in Papua New Guinea.
According to Townsville Bulletin, the miracle journey was made possible by the crew from Townsville’s YWAM (Youth With A Mission) medical ship, the positive result combating statistics that show one in seven women in the country die during childbirth.
Townsville-based volunteer Jennifer Perry led a team through thick jungle, up creeks and through waist-deep mud to find the woman needing medical help last week.
Just reaching the labouring woman’s bush hut, made from bamboo, took hours.
The expectant mother was suffering from severe complications at the time.
Perry and her team put their knowledge to the test and, armed with clean birthing kits, helped to save twin baby girls and the mother from an otherwise likely death.
The medical ship’s 48 crew and volunteers have already delivered more than 6,000 health services to people in need since their arrival in PNG’s Gulf area two weeks ago.
The ship’s doctors, nurses, primary health care workers, physios, optometrists, dentists and dental assistants have helped locals to combat diseases such as tuberculosis (TB), malaria, tropical wounds and infestations, worms and blindness.
YWAM director Ken Mulligan said he was pleased with the work of volunteers in PNG.
Programme advocate Peter Honeycombe said the medical ship’s early results were impressive.
“For YWAM to achieve these results during their first year – much less first two weeks – is absolutely amazing,” he said.
“It’s very rare to see an organisation deliver to this level without a major funding source.’’
The ship returned to Port Moresby this week to resupply and pick up more volunteers before returning to the Gulf next week.
The ship and its crew are due to return to Townsville next month. – Townsville Bulletin