As I rushed into the emergency room, I faced a chaotic scene. The center bed held the lifeless body of the middle-aged man the nurse had asked me to see. He was the only patient in the ER, but the room was bursting with people and buzzing with noise. The multitude of visitors stretched out … More Unrecognized
Like many hospitals in the world, Mondays are typically the busiest here. It makes it even busier when a 25-seat public vehicle carrying 12 passengers and 60 bags of Betel Nut collides with a tractor trailer on a bridge near Kudjip (pictured above). This was an opportunity for our hospital to show its true quality. … More Mass Casualty
Bana Health Center lies deep in the heart of East Sepik province in Papua New Guinea. Run by two fantastic nurses, Buckley and his wife, Charity; Bana is the only medical facility for 15,000 people spread across several mountains. (Due to the difficulties in acquiring an accurate census, it’s probably much more than 15,000.) The … More Bana Health Center
Inexplicable radiance. That is how I would describe Moanna in two words. Moanna initially came to Kudjip severely septic from a deeply seeded infection in her femur. (The medical term is osteomyelitis.) Over the course of several tenuous days, we were able to stabilize her. Her life is no longer in grave danger, but the … More Somehow Smiling
For me, Christmastime is synonymous with cold weather, extended family gatherings, candlelight Christmas Eve services, and annoying Christmas songs that get stuck in your head. This Sunday our family, along with the MK teachers and a volunteer doctor, had the opportunity to go up into the mountains to celebrate Christmas with Sengen Nazarene Church. It … More Bush Christmas
For those that are interested, I decided to write up what a typical day at Kudjip looks like for a medical missionary. I picked a random day (November 22), wrote down the cases I saw, and took a couple extra pictures. 8:00am – 9:00am – Ward Rounds This week I am on Pediatric Ward (A … More An Average Day for a Medical Missionary at Kudjip
Not again, I thought, as I felt for a pulse on Sarah, lying unresponsive on the ground. She and her newborn baby had been through so much already and we were almost ready to discharge her. I started CPR knowing the futility (in our setting) of what we were attempting to do. Sarah had originally … More Resilience
“For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” Though I hesitate to admit it, some patients are more likeable, and it didn’t take long to know that Jim was … More Operating in the Gray (By: Matt)
Kuka came to the hospital unconscious and barely breathing. She had been struck by a motor vehicle while walking along the side of the road. During my initial exam, I did not find much in terms of trauma except for some blood on her scalp. I watched as her motionless, five-year-old tiny body intermittently tensed … More Power in Weakness (By: Matt)
Martina arrived to the delivery ward in active labor. A quick cervical check and ultrasound demonstrated the baby to be breech with thick meconium. We started to prepare for a C-section when the baby’s heart rate started to drop. We rushed to the operating theater and helped Martina onto the table. I was helping anesthesia … More The Maker of Miracles (By: Matt)
