Page 44 - World Airnews Magazine April 2020 Edition

MAF

FLYING A MEDEVAC, DOING

SURVEYS, RETURNS,

MISSIONARIES AND COFFEE

normal day’s programme turned slightly interesting

Awhen Goroka based aircraft P2-MAK in Papua New Guin-

ea Brad Venter had to airlift a baby still attached to its mother by

the umbilical cord.
In Brad’s words, “We had to fetch a missionary from Owena,
there were a number of other flights planned and we wanted to do

a few airstrip surveys. We also had to do a charter in the afternoon
that had been planned for some time.

On arrival at the base, we found out about a woman with a re-
tained placenta that was having trouble and needed to be brought
out to the hospital. We re-arranged the programme and by 7.40
am we had departed for Wuyabo to drop of some patients that

were returning to their home, a 30-minute flight.

“We dropped them off and then Sarah Prins, who currently does
a Mission Experience Programme with MAF PNG, did an airstrip

survey. After that, we took off and went to Owena to fetch the

missionary there. Sarah did another survey.
“Our next stop was to fetch the woman with the retained placen-
ta. On landing, the people in the village brought her to the aircraft

on a well-made bamboo stretcher. While I loaded her into the

aircraft, Sarah was able to do another airstrip survey.
“I had found out in the morning that the woman was unable to

sit in the aircraft and so luckily I had brought the stretcher with me.
We transferred her to the stretcher and made her comfortable in

the shade under the wing of the aircraft. I loaded up some coffee
bags to help cover the cost of the flight.

“Then we loaded the stretcher into the aircraft and I managed to use
the harness to secure the stretcher and the women safely in the aircraft.

“The challenge was that the baby was still attached to the moth-

er by the umbilical cord and so it was not possible to move the

baby from the position it was in. I was worried that if the stretcher

moved on takeoff and the baby’s face was covered then it would
not be able to breathe. I arranged with the missionary that he

would sit in the seat behind the stretcher and monitor the situation

with the baby and rectify it if necessary. The woman’s guardian All in a day’s work for Mission Aviation

was in the seat next to the patient. Fellowship pilot Brad Venter

“The takeoff went well and during the flight 40-minute flight to

Goroka we made sure that we monitored the situation in the back It is led by acting country director Todd Aebischer who also over-

so that we could do something in the event there was a problem. sees the operations of 10 aircraft across nine bases.

“To get out the valley I had to climb to 12000ft, but as soon as MAF’s air service is focussed on the people living and working

I could I descended again to 8000ft to ensure that the baby was in remote communities. The team assists with individual medical

getting adequate oxygen. evacuation flights and the transportation of cash crops like coffee

“On arrival in Goroka, at about 11.15 am, we were able to give to or cocoa market for farmers where this is often the only source of

the woman a medevac pack that had been prepared by the MAF la- income. Passengers include missionaries working in and visiting

dies. Soon afterward, our base staff drove her to the hospital while rural villages, students who want to further their education, teach-

we continued with the remaining flight programme for the day.” ers, health workers and pastors. Community leaders, ordinary
He said the baby appeared to be healthy and he was hoping to be village folk or farmers also travel with MAF.

able to fly them back to their village sometime soon in the future. “Using aircraft we are able to overcome the physical barriers that
MAF IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA prevent people in Papua New Guinea from having access to health-
care, safe drinking water and help to bring physical and spiritual heal-
MAF in Papua New Guinea is made up of about 100 national and ing to the isolated people of this island,” said a MAF spokesperson.

more than 40 international staff, from pilots to finance managers, This year the organisation celebrates their 75th anniversary.

logistics to vehicle mechanics, and ground operations staff to Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) is a global movement started

cleaners – all Christians. Some members have worked for MAF in 1945 when a group of Second World War pilots were brought

Papua New Guinea for over 15 years so there is a vast amount of together with a shared vision to use their aviation skills for help
experience in the team. rather than harm while spreading the love of Jesus Christ. Q
World Airnews | April 2020
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