Midwife appeals for help to fight cancer

By SAMSON KENDEMAN
Specialist midwifery nursing officer Sr Kapaim Malak Maputiane from Laiagam in Enga who has been working at the district hospital did not know that one day she would be diagnosed with cancer.
Maputiane has been serving the 95,000 people of Lagaip-Porgera, most of them mothers because of her specific role in helping deliver babies.
She is the only midwife who is responsible for safe motherhood and assisting village women. And they regard her as one of their doctors. She has been with the Health Department for the last 30 years.
After she completed her Diploma in Nursing at the Goroka School of Nursing in 1980 she started her career at Angau Memorial Hospital in Lae.
In 1983 she was transferred to Goroka Base Hospital as a general nurse.
Because of her commitment and sheer determination to serve at that time when the national economy was starting to mature and development was at an advanced stage, she transferred to Port Moresby General Hospital in 1983 and was there until 1986.
From July 1986 to 1990 she worked at Mt Hagen General Hospital as a general nurse. In 1990 she transferred to Enga and worked as officer in-charge of heath sub centres.
“I was a nursing officer in charge of all sections – medical surgical, operation theaters, outpatient, obstetrics and gynaecology ward and even conducting MCH clinics,” she said in a recent interview.
In 2000 she did her Advanced Diploma in Nursing, specialising in Midwifery at the University of Papua New Guinea School of Medicine and Health Sciences.
From 2001 to 2002 she worked as labour ward officer in charge supervising women delivering and referring complicated pregnancies to the labor at the Wabag General Hospital for safe deliveries with the assistance from medical officers.
“From 2005 to 2008, I was in charge of labour ward, supervising mothers for safe delivery, referring complication to Wabag hospital for medical officers’ assistances from Laiagam District Hospital. From 2007 to 2013 I was a coordinator essential obstruct care, a pilot programme funded by United Nations Populations Fund and initiated by the Department of Health,” she said.
In 2013 and 2014 she did a Bachelor in Nursing Administration at the University of PNG and obtained a degree.
As matron at Laiagam District Hospital between 2014 and 2016 she trained students from nursing colleges sent to Laiagam for their practical training. Students came from Wapenamanda Community Health Worker Training School and Sopas Nursing School in Enga, and Tinsley Community Health Worker Training School in Western Highlands.
Under misty conditions, she would patrol the hinterlands and isolated villages such as, Kinderep, Yagiyagi, Yapai, Liam, Net, Maramuni, Paiela, Hewa and others scattered on the borders of the Sepik provinces and Hela doing awareness on safe motherhood and other services needed by the people.
“I never sleep well in the night; we walk two to three days to reach our designated villages. We work hard both day and night to provide decent medical care because we are dealing with the ever-growing population in the Lagaip Porgera district.
“There are no road links, no communications, and we cross many flooding rivers and climb steep mountains.
“I am accompanied by three community health workers and one runner. We usually walk in the night despite the dangers on our way. This is our normal routine patrol conducted in the first quarter of a year,” she said.
Lagaip-Porgera is a huge district with a population of more than 300,000 with five LLGs – Maip-Mulitaka, Pilikambi, Paiela-Hewa, Porgera Urban and Porgera Rural.
On Aug 23, 2016 Kapaim was diagnosed with this dreaded disease.
It was the first stage of tongue cancer and she was urgently referred to Port Moresby General Hospital by the ear, nose and throat (ENT) clinic at Wabag.
She further went through a major operation (neck dissection) for the removal of all neck lymph nodes in June 2017.
Kapaim was reviewed monthly after the major operation until on April 10, 2018, ENT medical teams reviewed and repeated ultra-sound scans and found out that the cancer had spread to the back of her neck lymph nodes.
Based on the medical review she has been referred for urgent overseas radiotherapy.
Kapaim is appealing to friends, relatives and colleagues for assistance towards her medical expenses and travel bills which would be about K100,000. She says her treatment overseas is important and she does not want to die young but continue to serve PNG through her expertise and impart her skills and knowledge to upcoming medical professionals.
For further information, she can be contacted on mobile 71163783 or Samson Kendeman on 70598767.
Donations can be deposited into her account: Kapiam Malak BSP Account # 1000789334.