Snakebite victim saved

By MAJELEEN YANEI
IF it wasn’t for the swift response of Samaritan Aviation, I would have lost my 10-year-old daughter to snakebite, says Patrick Saragum from East Sepik’s Marienberg in Angoram.
Saragum said his adopted daughter Amambo Mone was beaten by a snake last Tuesday at around 7am when she went to harvest sugarcane beside the house.
“We treated her with herbs and rushed her to Watam aid post at around noon and when we arrived, her teeth were closed and her body turned pale,” Saragum said.
He said she was dehydrated with signs of the snake’s venom spreading to her bloodstreams.
“The community health volunteer at Watam called Samaritan Aviation team and they medevaced her to Wewak’s Boram hospital the following day.
“She was treated with first aid in the helicopter before arriving at Boram where she received full anti-venom treatment and recovered,” he said.
Saragum said that due to the remote location of the area, more lives would have been lost if Samaritan Aviation did not provide such services, helping patients every day.
“They are always on standby, any time of the day, to respond to emergencies, and they also conduct devotions and share God’s word with every patients they help,” he said.
“They also help to transport medical drugs from the area medical store at Wewak to sub health centres along the Upper and Lower Sepik River areas.
“They play a crucial role in reaching remote parts of the province, providing medical help to areas difficult to access and their efforts not only address health care concerns but also contribute to the overall wellbeing of the people.”