A woman who has been bleeding for over 4 months has finally received much-needed assistance.
She was part of the 177 patients who were seen and treated by the ‘Travel2Change’ trek team of Kumura Foundation at Snow Pass, Madang Province.
The ‘Travel2Change’ trek team of Kumura Foundation started their rural clinic at Snow Pass on Tuesday, December 14th, under the theme ‘A campaign against malaria’.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, 177 Snow Pass patients were seen and treated, while five patients were referred to the nearest health centres.
Among those referred on Tuesday were two children with acute pneumonia and a severely anaemic woman who was suspected to have cervical cancer.
Director of the Kumura Foundation, Vincent Kumura, said the woman had been bleeding for almost five months.
“If we hadn’t done the Travel2Change campaign, it could’ve been worse because on the 13th (Dec) when we arrived here, a two-month-old baby died,” he stated.
“He was brought in from a remote Emigari village, just to see the doctors but he gave up his life the night before we started the clinic.
“And the next day we were fortunate enough to bring three emergency cases up to Gembogl.
“The little kids are stable now while the mother’s case is being managed and she will be taken to the Kundiawa General Hospital.”
A woman experiencing pregnancy complications was also brought to the Gembogl Health Centre in Simbu the following day, courtesy of the fully-kitted ambulance donated by the Sir Brian Bell Foundation.
On December 16th, the team trekked to Bundi from Snow Pass, where they conducted their clinic the next day.
Kumura said during the December 17th clinic, they came across a seven-year-old boy with TB of the brain, or meningitis.
The boy was suffering from meningitis at age 5, but had no way to access medical assistance until the team reached his village.
Kumura highlighted that Bundi locals have no health extension officer or nurses at the Bundi Sub-District Health Centre; only a 65-year-old community health worker has been taking care of health in the area for 40 years.
“It’s a very sad scenario,” he said.
The boy has been referred to the Kundiawa General Hospital for further assessment.
The Kumura Foundation ambulance will take him in after the completion of the patrol on the first week of January.
So far during the three days of clinic, 294 patients have been seen with 11 referrals.
The team will continue to trek to Numba at Kobum, Lower Bundi, which is about 17km from Bundi Station.
(The Travel2Change team assisting locals at Snow Pass, Upper Bundi)