Medical team attends to rural patients

 By ZACHERY PER
A medical outreach team from the Kundiawa General Hospital did wonders in attending to some chronic health problems in the remote Negabo area in Karamui, Chimbu, this week.
According to Dr John Tonar, director of the outreach team, they reached out to fulfil the vision and aspirations of the Chimbu government in reaching out to rural areas.
Dr Tonar confirmed referring six patients with chronic health problems to the Kundiawa General Hospital this week.
Patients referred were Sam Torai (severe ulcer), Miriam Sam (dislocated jaw), Saki Ki (cornea transplant) Newe Steven (chronic abdominal pains) and a three-year-old boy  to undergo a colostomy.
Dr Tonar thanked Salt-Nomane Karamui MP Mogerema Wei for establishing a partnership with Manalos Aviation which made the medevac possible.
The patients were flown in a Manalos helicopter to Kundiawa where they were immediately attended to. The eye patient was referred to Mt Hagen General Hospital for further screening by the regional ophthalmologist.
“The medical rural outreach programme was started in 2014 because in Chimbu, which is rugged and riddled with very bad geographical features, people were suffering and dying from curable and treatable health complications,” Dr Tonar said.