Mining firm helps airlift girl to Lae for treatment

 AN eight-year-old girl from Onom village, Morobe, is alive, thanks to quick action by Morobe Mining’s Wafi-Golpu medical and emergency response team recently.

Dulcie Yana apparently suffered a snake bite on Oct 14 and was beginning to feel paralysis in her lower limbs.

Her family called the mining company’s community affairs officers at the Wafi-Golpu camp for help. 

The officers quickly liaised with the emergency response team to medevac the girl from the Lower Watut region village to Angau Memorial Hospital in Lae.

One of the camp’s doctors, Robin Oge, communicated with Dulcie regularly from Wafi until an airlift could be arranged. Dr Oge said Dulcie had started developing weakness in both her lower limbs and needed hospitalisation for further assessment and treatment. 

He stabilised the girl before escorting her onto the helicopter.

Wafi medical superintendent David Mayer said: “Remote emergencies are difficult to resource with limited access due to isolation. 

“The availability of helicopters is rare, so in this case the patient was very fortunate to have significant response from Morobe Mining’s community affairs and emergency response teams.”

Oge and Mayer said Dulcie was now doing well.