YWAM treats 19,000 in rural areas

The Medical ship, Youth With A Mission (YWAM) has completed a five month deployment across the southern region of Papua New Guinea treating over 19,000 people in the remote areas.

The ship and its major sponsors last night gathered on board the YWAM ship to celebrate the completion of the deployment.

The ship will return to Australia where it will undergo a scheduled maintenance and refitting before it returns to PNG in November.

It was deployed to the rural areas of Western, Gulf, central, Milne Bay, Oro, and Morobe provinces treating over 19,000 patients.

Executive Program manager for YWAM ships Dr Serah Dunn said 598 volunteers from 21 countries travelled into PNG for the health outreach voyage.

Highlights of this 9th voyage were also shared last night and YWAM Medical Ships managing Director Ken Mulligan said one of the highlight was restoring the sight of a 6 year old girl in the Kirriwina Island in Milne bay.

Mandy was born with her sight but developed complications at the age of 3 and went blind. She was able to see her parents for the first time after the surgery.

Mulligan said the outreach programs keep making huge impacts on the communities it visits.

35,000 immunizations were administered for babies in the provinces visited.  Birthing kits were also provided to communities visited. The team also spent time conducting health awareness.

Supporter like Puma Energy was acknowledged last night for its assistance and donations on the vessel.

Puma Energy has been supporting YWAM over the past years and has extended its existing sponsorship and will be supplying fuel worth K1.6 million for the ships for another two years.

Morobe provincial government, New Britain Palm Oil and Alotau MP Charles Abel were also acknowledged during the event.

 

{Pictured is 6 year old Mandy whose sight was restored by the YWAM team in Milne bay. She is carried by her mother as they bid farewell to the team in Missima. Picture by YWAM. )

Author: 
Sally Pokiton