Jasmine makes the sacrifice to be a paramedic

By BOURA GORUKILA
IT was tough for Jasmine Kum to leave her nine-month-old daughter behind when she had to attend a paramedics training course in Palmerston North, New Zealand this year.
“She is my first child. I was still in NZ when she turned a year old. I missed her first birthday. My husband Steven and my parents were with her throughout. When I returned, she is already 13 months old.”

“ It’s risky for ladies at times when we travel into settlements at night to do cases of trauma on drunkards or at big fights. Our safety would be at risk so we are very mindful of safety when we deal with such cases.”

Jasmine, 30, is from Dumbola village in Banz, Jiwaka. She is the second eldest in a family of six – three sisters and two brothers – to dad Browm Kum and mum Rose Kum.
Kum was the only female among the four St John PNG team to attend the paramedics training in Palmerston North. It is part of her six-month Diploma in Ambulance Practice (Paramedics) course – three months online training and three months study in New Zealand.
During the three months in New Zealand, they attended to between 160 and 200 patients. They worked shifts with their colleagues there, learning new techniques in dealing with cases.
The three who went with her were Ganzi Katio also doing a Diploma in Ambulance practice course, David Kivovia and Jethro Philemon who are on a certificate course.

“We learnt that they don’t have snakes when we asked if they dealt with snake bite cases. We also arrived there in winter. I remember one day when the temperature was zero degrees. We wore six to eight layers of clothing during the first week which was a new experience.
“We are the first batch to attend the nursing training and we have built that relationship. So students will be sent down every year to study in the New Zealand-funded scholarships through the Department of Foreign Affairs. Accommodation is covered in the scholarship and we were given fortnightly allowances in NZ dollars.”
Working in the ambulance and prehospital setting is difficult especially for women who have young families.
“You will be called at any time to travel and you will just have to leave your child like that. But as long as you have an understanding partner and family who help you, it’s ok. It’s a very challenging exercise at first but as you continue, you will get use to the job and its challenges and you will start to love it.
“It’s risky for ladies at times when we travel into settlements at night to do cases of trauma on drunkards or at big fights. Our safety would be at risk so we are very mindful of safety when we deal with such cases.”
Jasmine attended Grade One to Grade Eight at the Blessed Peter Torot Primary School in Wewak from 1995 to 2002. Then she moved the Bishop Leo Secondary School in Wewak in 2003 and 2004.
She did Grade 11 and Grade 12 at the Notre Dame Secondary School in Mt Hagen, Western Highlands in 2005 and 2006.
She graduated with a Bachelor of Rural Health degree from the Divine Word University in 2010. She completed her two-year residency programme at the Vanimo General Hospital in 2011 and 2012.
Her first posting was to Kavieng General Hospital in 2013. In 2015 she was attached with Occupational Health Safety team at Tabubil as a HEO. She worked with International SOS at Lihir in 2016. Jasmine joined St Johns in 2017 as a health extension officer.
She sees her training in NZ as rewarding as it had broadened her knowledge and improved her skills while working with paramedics there.
It was hard but certainly worth leaving her little one behind.