Medevac team saves man bitten by poisonous snake

A VILLAGER bitten by a poisonous snake while returning from his garden last Saturday is happy to be alive after being medically evacuated to a hospital.
Henry Aifa, 35, from Kumbora village in the Obura-Wonenara electorate of Eastern Highlands was taken by his relatives to the nearest aid post on Sunday when his condition worsened.
Community health worker at the Kumbora clinic, Renny Inias, said there was no anti-venom medicine to treat Aifa. So with the help of a medical team carrying out immunisation at the village, a message was sent to the Obura Health Centre requesting a medical evacuation by the Manolos Aviation.
A nurse and pilot from the Lae-based helicopter company arrived with the anti-venom at Kumbora village at 11am on Sunday.
“If it wasn’t for this medevac, I don’t think this man would be alive. I have nothing in my bush material clinic to treat snake bites. The road to the Obura Health Centre is bad because of rain. There are no cars travelling,” Inias said.
Inias thanked MP Mehrra Kipefa for facilitating the medical evacuation.
Manolos Aviation chief executive officer Jurgen Ruh said the company had a memorandum of understanding with Kipefa to evacuate seriously sick people from the electorate to hospital. Aifa was discharged from the Angau Memorial Hospital yesterday.