Nestled in rural Western Province, some isolated river communities face significant challenges in accessing healthcare, with the environment’s remoteness making regular medical patrols logistically complex and resource-intensive.
Tuberculosis had already claimed the lives of one man’s mother, mother-in-law, and child. Now, both he and his wife were feeling unwell. His symptoms were familiar, but he was too sick to make it to the clinic when the outreach team arrived.
It was his wife who first came forward. She was seen by the primary health care team, where a sputum sample was taken. The sample was tested onboard the MV YWAM PNG, and the test came back positive for tuberculosis.
As the team travelled back to her village to deliver the news, they realised her husband, too weak to come to the clinic the day before, was also showing signs of this illness.
But this time, there was intervention. This time, there was a response.
The team on board contacted Western Provincial Health Authority, and the local partners jumped in to arrange transport and extended hospital care. A dinghy was sent by World Vision to pick up the couple, and both were transferred to Daru Hospital to receive the urgent treatment they needed.
In a place where stories like theirs are often left untold, or end too soon, this one is being rewritten through compassion, collaboration, and timely care. This is why the ship goes. This is why we believe to play our part, serving alongside local health workers and the wider health team. To bring life where there was once loss – changing the narrative for families, villages, and futures at the last mile.
YWAM MS is proudly supported by the PNG National Government, the Australian Government through the PNGAus Partnership, Henry Schein, Kumul Minerals, Western Provincial Health Authority, NCDC, Hiri Koiari Open Electorate, PNG Ports Corporation, Parkside Group, Port of Townsville, Ok Tedi Mining, Colgate-Palmolive, 1300SMILES, Honeycombes Property Group, Sir Brian Bell Foundation, Ela Motors, Mills Dental, Mitsubishi Electric, Days for Girls, AkzoNobel, Lions Recycle for Sight, City of Townsville, Pro-Ma Systems, Pacific Islands International, Rotarians Against Malaria, AVIS, Coutts Redington, Mun, Pacific Marine Group, Medical Dental Solutions, Kingdom Air Conditioning, Dawson & Associates, Hu-Friedy, Trukai, Gearbox Solutions, Luminell, Lancini Property & Development, Wison/Ryan/Grose, Universal Cranes, World Vision, PwC, Septodont, Mocom Australia, PVW Partners, 3M, GE Healthcare, Austal, FileMaker, and Pacific Towing.
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