Samaritan Aviation will now be able to complete its new floatplane project following a memorandum of agreement signing with Digicel PNG Foundation.
The Foundation’s K150,000 contribution allows the completion of the project, as well as have it shipped to PNG next month.
This new floatplane will provide life-saving flights for people living along the Sepik River who are in desperate need of medical care to the main hospital in Wewak.
Whilst thanking Digicel PNG Foundation for the partnership, Samaritan Aviation President, Mark Palm, said the US based Christian organisation relies on US donors as well as the PNG Government for support.
“Having a second airplane is a huge thing for Samaritan Aviation; we have one aircraft currently,” Palm stated.
“These are all seaplanes, they also land on the ground at Wewak or a good runway.
“One of the challenges is when the plane is down for parts, sometimes when we need parts it takes 2 weeks to get a part.
“And when I am waiting for a part there’s nothing more frustrating or difficult for me to answer the phone and say ‘I’m sorry, plane’s down, we can’t come’.”
The Samaritan Aviation operates 7 days a week delivering medical supplies, conducting vaccination outreach or flying a patient from a remote village along the Sepik River to Boram Hospital.
(From left: Samaritan Aviation President, Mark Palm, Digicel PNG Foundation board member Calextus Simeon and Foundation Chief Operations Officer, Adi Anaseini Vesikula)