Remote health centres are getting their allotment of medical supplies as Protocal Investment identified MAF as the only reliable source of delivery where road access is limited and treacherous.
Newton Philip and Daniel Mamah work for Protocal Investment, a logistic company contracted by the National Department of Health to distribute medical supplies throughout the Highlands region of Papua New Guinea. Newton and Daniel were the officers in charge of consigning the medical supplies to be sent to Bomai and Haia, and they appreciated being able to partner with MAF to get the task done.
We desperately need these medicines to treat the sick people.
“We are happy to cooperate with MAF to deliver services in the Highlands region,” Daniel said. “This is normally a routine work we are doing in the Highlands region to deliver these supplies. Bomai and Haia are our remote areas in the Highlands.”
Pointing to the trolley behind him, he continued, “This trolley is full of medical supplies and will go to Bomai, maybe 30 cartons plus.”
As our Mt Hagen traffic officers weighed and consigned the medical supplies, they counted 43 boxes for Bomai, which added up to almost 400 kilograms; for Haia, they counted 63 boxes, which totalled 530 kilograms.
Partnering with MAF seems the only option for the safe delivery of these valuable boxes as Newton explained.
“We choose MAF because they are reliable flying the planes. They're well managed,” Newton said.
“If there is no MAF, all the medical supplies, we will have to take them across the place where the road access is okay for us to travel. People are in desperate need for medical supplies. So, we’d have no choice (and would) have to travel by road and carry them by carriers and organise some peoples in the village to carry the medical supplies. And we have to take them walk, maybe two or three days.”
Daniel came on both of the flights to Haia and Bomai with one additional Protocal Investment officer. This is part of the arrangement with MAF so they can assist with unloading and their company’s required paperwork. If they travelled on the road to distribute the medical supplies to the hospitals and sub-health centres, they would need two security guards with them. When delivering with MAF, it’s sufficient to travel without security guards.
The arrival of the supplies to Haia was witnessed by many members of the community (see main photo). Isidor Muluna, a local health worker and second officer in charge, acknowledged the delivery.