There are many missionary kids on our center and many trees. Kids (everywhere) love to climb trees. But what happens when one of our kids falls out of one of those trees and breaks an arm or a wrist? What happens to them here in Papua New Guinea?
One of the many things Donell keeps stocked in our NTM Medical Clinic is fiberglass-casting material.
Well, our doctor sees the child first to make his assessment. Since we are not able to take x-rays at our clinic, the child is then taken to town to the “Haus Sik” for an x-ray. When they return everyone holds their breath as the x-ray is put up on the lighted glass reader. Most of the time it is a break that can be set by our medical staff. But over the last few months there have been a couple of breaks that have required pins to be put in to stabilize bones that won’t stay put. This is surgery that we cannot do here, so the family buys airline tickets and heads to Australia for at least 2-3 weeks to get medical help in a modern hospital. Expensive? Yes. Time consuming? Yes. But we are so thankful to have a medical staff that can get this process underway when necessary. In an emergency situation our NTM pilots can fly the doctor, a nurse and the patient to a hospital in Cairns, Australia in about 3 hours in the King Air airplane.
Over the last few months here there have been many broken bones, a car accident, a miscarriage, malaria, debilitating diseases and more that have come through the doors of our NTM Medical Clinic. Most have been taken care of here by our doctor and nursing staff, but some have been transported to Australia for medical attention. Praise the Lord for our NTM medical facility and staff here in the highlands of PNG, working together with New Tribes Mission Aviation.