Ruth brings help and healing to pregnant women

The importance of helping pregnant women to deliver safely cannot be understated. Many women in Papua New Guinea do not have access to health services, and in Western Province a large number give birth unattended in the bush.

As one of fourteen highly experienced health midwives with the PNG Sustainable Development Program (SDP), Ruth Mageva is devoted to helping these women.

"I have been on sixteen patrols now,” said Ruth.

The SDP approach is to create familiarity and regularity with the communities they serve

Ruth’s role as a family health midwife is to take care of pregnant women and their children.

“I screen antenatal mothers to make sure they are okay to deliver… I screen for any danger signs to see if they need to get extra care,” said Ruth.

Susan Allen who has worked with SDP Health since it’s inception in 2019, and first came to live in the province in 1983, is well aware of the challenging working environment and the influence it can have on the health patrols.

“If Ruth can not go out on a patrol, then people don’t receive the critical health care she and the rest of the team offers," said Susan.

After a stay in Mount Hagen, Ruth was traveling with MAF to Balimo in Western Province to go on her next patrol with SDP. However, flying from the highlands to the lowlands is often extra challenging because of large cloud formations.

“I was really nervous knowing that the community which I would be visiting was waiting for me,” said Ruth.

It was vital to get Ruth to Balimo on time, but the weather would prove to be very challenging.

You can read about the challenging flight here.

Despite the challenging environment, Susan is encouraged by the partnership with MAF.

“MAF is a consistent enabler. Whilst being completely different to SDP, at the heart, we are both here to serve people that deserve better," said Susan.