MAF News

Feb 13 2012

11 Minutes Flying vs 3 Days Walking

It was lunch time when the Airvan touched down at Buluwo, a very poor community on the Sepik plains (in PNG).

Mid-way through the day’s program, pilot Richie Axon received confirmation that there was a patient at Buluwo desperately needing to go to the medical centre in Lumi. He had been working in the gardens and was cutting down a tree when it fell on him, causing internal injuries.

The patient however was not at the airstrip when the plane arrived. The people explained that he was coming from a nearby village – 4hrs walk away. 

The patient arrived about 30 minutes later carried by 4 of the people from his village and accompanied by his wife, who would be looking after him.  

Richie secured the patient and after just 11 minutes in the air, landed the Airvan P2-MEW in Lumi.

Thanks to this aircraft the man was able to receive medical help. If he was forced to go by foot, carried by his friends over the rough terrain, this trip would have taken 3 days – more than likely this would have been too long for him to survive.

 

Article source: http://www.maf.org.au/news/n/11-minutes-flying-or-3-days-walking-120212

By csmythe • MAF News • 1 • Tags: ,

Feb 10 2012

Yatoam dysentery outbreak

MKK Yatoam

10 February 2012

Report by MAF pilot Richie Axon in Papua New Guinea

For the past week-and-a-half, the people of Yatoam have been suffering an outbreak of illness that has caused quite a few deaths in the valley. The health officers at the District Headquarters in Oksapmin wanted to get out into the community with workers and medicine.

But the challenge is an arduous 4-day walk through steep mountains and across the wild Strickland River – and how to ensure the workers and medicines get there safely.

When the GA8 Airvan P2-MKK touched down in Oksapmin mid-morning, the 2 medical officers were waiting with their supplies. As pilot Richie spoke to them he learned that the people of Yatoam were suffering a severe outbreak of dysentery. Also waiting was a patient who had come to Oksapmin from Yatoam earlier with an injured leg and after receiving treatment was ready to travel home.

Quickly loading the aircraft and taking off, the turbo charged Airvan easily left the high altitude airstrip with its load and a short 16 minutes later the wheels touched down at Yatoam.

The aircraft had enabled these medical officers and their precious cargo to arrive at the place of need and able to start work straight away.

 

Article source: http://www.maf-uk.org/Yatoam_dysentery_outbreak/11995.id

By csmythe • MAF News • 0 • Tags: , , ,

Feb 9 2012

Update on Richard Morris

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Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/maflt/~3/kmJT-Zi-q_0/update-richard-morris

By csmythe • MAF News • 0 • Tags: ,

Feb 8 2012

Richard Morris Injured in Miami Accident

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Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/maflt/~3/iTGeSqtjC-k/richard-morris-injured-miami-accident

By csmythe • MAF News • 0 • Tags: ,

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