Call to support work of volunteers

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A VILLAGE health volunteer from Inderi village in the Lamari local level government of Obura-Wonenara, Eastern Highlands urged the Government to support the work of volunteers like her.
Penina Butundo, who has been volunteering as a village birth attendant in her Inderi village for the last 20 years, assisting more than 200 mothers, said,: “Young women experiencing first-time pregnancy, especially those in remote areas, desperately need the assistance of well-trained health personnel when it comes to delivering their babies.
“Like Inderi, I know that most villages have no access to aid posts or proper health facilities and health workers,” she said.
Butundo said village birth attendant was the first person to attend to pregnant mothers during their labour.
“Despite many challenges, we serve our community when there is no health worker and support from Government to help us in this role.”
Two weeks ago, Butundo assisted a 20-year-old mother, Marin Taroa, deliver a healthy baby boy at Inderi.
However, Torao suffered retained placenta, and was taken to To’okena sub-health centre, run by the Evangelical Brotherhood Church (EBC).
Due to a shortage of medical supplies at the centre, a message was relayed by a community health worker to Lae-based helicopter company Manolos Aviation to evacuate the mother.
Thanks to a partnership between Manolos and the Obura-Wonenara development authority, the mother was airlifted to Angau Memorial Hospital in Lae the next day.
“I was cautious of single-handedly removing the placenta at the time, because the mother was young and it is risky to attempt the procedure outside a proper health facility,” Butundo said.
“There is no aid post or clinic at Inderi. I have assisted mothers who delivered their babies on empty stockfeed bags, on banana leaves and it is not healthy for both the mother and baby.”