Med-Evac Equipment donation

A friend in the US just let us know that a backpack style med-evac bag, called a STATPAK, has been donated to our program!  Here are the photos:

The team that secured this donation is from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.  They are also proposing a trip to Gabon to do some "flight nurse" basic training in 2014!  Please pray that the logistics of their trip are worked out and that effective training of Gabon nationals becomes a reality.

Air Evac- 14 November

This past Wednesday, while having some meetings with government ministries, a call came in requesting us to assist with a medical evacuation.  Around 4pm, I was able to launch to the town where a horrible car accident had happened between a van carrying a load of school children and an SUV.  One child had died at the scene.

On our way to the coastal town of Port Gentil.

The four children that I would transport had bad wounds, mainly to their heads.  They were in stable condition and had no need for oxygen or other in-flight care- they simply needed transported from the town (only reached by boat or airplane), 45 minutes back to the capital city where they could get to the doctors and machines that could care for them.  Although our aircraft is mainly working to support the work of the Bongolo Hospital, we still use the aircraft to bless people, no matter where their destination needs to be.  The doctor providing the care for them determined that Libreville was the best for these children, so that's where we headed.  Additionally, for the time being, our aircraft is not outfitted for in-flight care (ambulance), so we must ensure that each patient is stable and able to be transported safely with no chance that they will need special care during the flight.

Quite a crowd gathered.

Once it was determined how many children would be coming we changed the interior set up.  This required me to take out 4 chairs and stow them in the far back, held down by a cargo net.  A doctor and nurse were along for the ride, as well as the 4 children. 

It was about 45 minutes for the leg there and back, hugging the coast as we went.  You'll notice that no roads go to the destination.

As we arrived back to Libreville at dusk, the ambulances were waiting and some ground crew workers were waiting to assist.

Air Evac- 06 August

 I was called on Sunday night by the president of the national church saying that a terrible accident after the conclusion of the Alliance Woman's annual conference in the east of the country had left many injured- some of them seriously.

Eastbound from Libreville to Makokou at 9000 feet.  This is what Gabon looks like during dry season- a lower solid overcast all day long.

 

Using the "jungle jepps", I descended on the prescribed course and broke through the overcast nearing the village.  It's was my first time to this village runway where regional airline service lands 2 or 3 times a week.

Descending for runway 0-6 over the village.

The ambulance was waiting as well as quite a crowd- almost two dozen.  The first load from the ambulance were two ladies with head and arm wounds mostly.  They sat along the left side of the aircraft while the right side was left for the woman that would come and need to remain laying down.

I was blessed to have Yolande, a Bongolo-trained nurse and also an Alliance Woman, along to assist during the flight.

This flight had another first- landing at Bongolo the opposite direction then normal... runway 2-7.  You can make out the airport ahead- we're on about a 4 mile final approach.

Upon arrival, Steve H., a Bongolo doctor, jumped into action, treating the woman laying down first.

Bongolo Hospital's ambulance driver, Philippe, was on the spot, waiting to load up the injured, along with Karen F. who used her personal car as well.

We all pitched in and got the ladies loaded.  Our hospital administrator, Pastor Serge B. has his back to the photo.  His wife, Jackie, is closest to the airplane.  When's the last time you visited a medical facility and the director was there to meet you?!? Now, that's service!