When the medical ship, MV YWAM PNG, docked in Lae, Puma Energy’s Lae team took the opportunity to come aboard for a tour and dental services in its onboard clinic.
The tour gave the Lae-based employees a visible reminder of their company’s investment in local communities; Puma Energy has been donating the MV YWAM PNG’s fuel and lubricant requirements since 2015.
Puma’s strong support enables YWAM Medical Ships to visit isolated villages in the Southern region and Morobe Province. During the ship’s most recent outreach to Morobe Province, over 4,000 patients were seen over the course of 10 days in collaboration with Morobe Provincial Health Authorities. The services included primary healthcare, dentistry, optometry, outpatient services, professional development, and health promotion. In addition to this, the team joined provincial and district health authorities for round two of the polio vaccine drive as part of Morobe’s response to the recently confirmed polio outbreak in the province.
Puma’s support of the medical ship resonates with its employees because they, too, are investing in their people. “Papua New Guinea has a rural majority [and] they don’t have access to basic medical services, so people die of curable diseases,” said Marcellin Iko, Puma’s Territory Manager to the Highlands. “By supporting an organisation such as YWAM, Puma is giving back to the people…I feel that I am connected in that way.”
Galewa Ilo, who has worked at Puma Energy for eight years, echoed his thoughts. “As a Papua New Guinean, I’m doing my best for the company because they are giving back to my country.”
The MV YWAM PNG set sail for Oro Province over the weekend for a two week deployment to Sohe and Iijivitari districts, proud to be fuelled by Puma Energy.
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