Madang cop in need

Main Stories, National

THE lack of the most essential facilities at the Port Moresby General Hospital has caused more Papua New Guineans to be referred to hospitals in Australia.
This in turn has caused many ordinary Papua New Guineans to meet even higher costs for treatment and surgery that PNG could easily provide.
Long serving policeman of Madang Sgt Henry Mong, who heads the police task force, is one of those Papua New Guineans that has come to face the hurdles of financing his referral down to Australia to save him from a life threatening brain tumor.
Sgt Mong has been on sick leave for almost three years now due to a brain tumor which has greatly affected his life.
He was first diagnosed wrongly with what a local doctor taught was tuberculosis in his brain and was put on TB drugs for a full year.
However, he suffered complications with the TB medication and his overall health began to decline until early last year.
This was when a visiting surgeon to the POMGH did a routine diagnostic medical check on Sgt Mong and discovered that he had a non-cancerous brain tumor and managed to do a temporary bypass surgery by placing a miniature mechanical pump to drain out excessive fluid produced by the tumor.
His doctors had also advised him that the brain tumor could be surgically removed but only in hospitals in Australia because the POMGH lacked all facilities that were required and surgeons that were qualified to handle the delicate operation.
Sgt Mong’s doctor, Dr William Kaptigau of the POMGH, wrote a report for Sgt Mong recommending a referral to a hospital in Townsville, Australia.
However, he needs more than K100,000 to have the life-saving operation in Australia which is why he has come out requesting for assistance.
Those wishing to assist Sgt Mong can do so by pledging donations to Bank South Pacific Madang account number 1000541915 or telephone Peter Memafu on 854 1361 or 727 23416.