After becoming a community health worker, Patrick returned to his home village to care for his people, with the support of MAF and a local hospital.
Story by Tajs Jespersen
“If I work in towns and cities, then who will serve my people? That's why I must stay here,” said Patrick Dixon, a community health worker in Papua New Guinea.
Patrick has been in the role for seven years, five of which he spent working in his own village of Yambaitok. Situated in Enga Province close to the border of East Sepik, Yambaitok sees almost no health service due to its remote location. But through the partnership between Kompiam District Hospital and MAF, health patrols can reach the community.
“On this health patrol, we had a 15-minute flight from Kompiam hospital to a place that is so much more remote than anywhere that can feasibly be reached on foot,” said Tim Robinson, a general practitioner from Australia, who is supporting the hospital.
“The people are very grateful for the assistance that is provided by MAF.”
The isolation brings many challenges, but Patrick has remained a faithful worker to the hospital and to his people, in part, because of the support of MAF.
“We have no road link, so MAF is working 24 hours to serve us. Any critical condition, any medevac,” said Patrick.
Patrick is under the supervision of MAF's long-time partner, Kompiam District Hospital. The hospital supports the work of 22 community health workers (CHWs) in Enga Province, improving their skills through quarterly health patrol visits and on-site training at their hospital facility once a year. The goal for Enga Baptist Health Services is to have 51 CHWs serving in remote communities in Enga Province.
When emergencies arise, the CHWs are the workers on the front line that reach out to MAF for medical transfers via HF radio or mobile network or through Kompiam hospital.
Patrick recalls one such patient who needed to be transferred - a survivor of domestic violence whose leg was almost completely amputated.
“Because of fighting at other airstrips, her relatives had nowhere else to go,” he said. “They told me to cut her leg off completely, but I decided to call MAF for the plane to come. I looked after her for two days.”
The team of doctors and nurses at Kompiam hospital commenced a long operation to save the woman’s leg and miraculously, the operation was successful.
I want to thank God, I want to thank MAF, and I want to thank the Kompiam hospital for their good work.
“She never regained feeling in the bottom of her foot, but at least she was able to walk again,” said Dr Diana Zwijnenburg, who was part of the surgery team.
As a CHW, Patrick is responsible for providing health care to around 6,000 people living in the catchment area of the Yambaitok airstrip and he hopes to be able to improve his service to the community in the future.
“I am planning to build a new aid post to look after the sick patients in a proper building,” said Patrick. “I want to thank God, I want to thank MAF, and I want to thank the Kompiam hospital for their good work.”