Sam Basil saves a life

By SAM BASIL
Bulolo MP

Lis Maso being laid on the stretcher by the captain

As soon as I arrived on a delayed flight from Port Moresby this  morning I received a call from our operator Jack Maso that his daughter a teacher Lis Maso from Wagau Primary School  was having complications from child birth

The patient in the middle with two wantoks on the side

The road situation into Buang local level government (LLG) has been severely affected by the continuous rain with many sections of the road washed out or covered with mud.'
That morning also we got reports that parts of the Munanung section Armco was washed out and the only way to help in such cases was to fly into Buang.

I asked my accountant Mirriam Nork to enquire with helicopter companies in Lae to negotiate an urgent medivac operation and we eventually settled with Manalos Aviation.

The owner Mr. Jurgen was willing to help for K4,800.

Ater landing the Captain Jurgen Ruh cooling down the engines of the safest helicopter in PNG... because it has twin engines

I drove into Lae’s old airport and hopped onto the helicopter the chopper looked weird but I later found out that this helicopter is the safest in the country.

Why?

It has two engines therefore you can rule out engine failures.

I wasn’t very confident but later enjoyed every bit of the flight.

It only took nine minutes from the old airport into Wagau Villages.

We landed on the Wagau’s primary school playing field and arrange for the patient to lie on the stretcher and fitted her accompanied by her husband and mother.

Wagau students, teachers and parents welcoming the rescue chopper.

The flight back into Angau Hospital was smooth.

Lis Maso was delivered safely into the hands of the doctors.

The cost of the operations was about K4, 800 which I paid for and will get refund from the district DSG funds. 

Captain Jurgen Ruh and Bulolo MP Sam Basil...Mission achieved!  Thank God a life has been saved today with some lessons learnt. I hope one day, when in government,  we can standardise programmess for all local level government in Papua New guinea to be self-sufficient. sb

The medivac has now prompted me to make funding available pre-paid to helicopter companies as emergencies comes at any time and people turn to their local members of parliament to save them. 

I am glad that a life was saved today before heading off to Wau for Biaru to celebrate with the Biaru people tomorrow.