Doctor Relief

For most of 2020, our provider numbers decreased instead of increasing.  Just when we thought we had a bit of a margin in staffing, someone would leave on break or vacation.  We have been surviving with 3-4 fully trained FP/Peds/ER docs, 1 fully trained Surgeon, 1 dentist, and 1 surgical trainee for much of 2020.  While we have been tired, God has been faithful and we have learned to adjust and to reset expectations, but it has taken it's toll on many of us.  We have needed a breather, but didn't know when/where it was coming - but thankfully, we have gotten some relief.  

Sheila Tombil is a PNG doctor who started working with us in October.  She was working in the private sector in Port Moresby after her Medical Training, but has joined our team and is trying to learn as much as she can.  She hasn't worked in a hospital for a number of years, but is asking all the right questions and is like a sponge, learning all she can.  We are excited for her to be a part of our team.

Ben Radcliffe had been gone from PNG for almost a year with the birth of his son and then waiting for his son's passport and visa to be issued before being able to come back with his family.  We were happy to welcome them to PNG on Thanksgiving.  Once quarantine was over, Ben's lack of surgery time in the past year, has meant he has been willing and wanting to do as much surgery as he can.  Alex's first year of surgical training is finished and he has grown competent in doing many surgeries on his own, which has enabled us to schedule more cases, which is a blessing for our patients.  

James Adams is a Canadian GP, who has been here 6 times in the past 10 years, and will have served for more than a year cumulatively during his 3 months with us.  He has only been out of quarantine for a week, but we are already feeling relief from him being with us.  His past experience at Kudjip allows him to step in and be effective right away, which we are so grateful for.  

Daniel Dyer is an US FP, who came in on the same flight as James, and plans to be with us for 2 years.  He is a PostResident from Samaritan's Purse/World Medical Mission.  He worked with us during his training, and so not everything is new to him, but he will take a bit longer (compared to James) to adjust to medicine in PNG.  Thankfully, his training prepared him very well for being a doctor here, and he has jumped in on gaining competency in C-sections and D&Cs and other procedures that he needs some fine tuning in.  We look forward to having him with us for the next 2 years.  

International travel in the midst of Covid continues to be an obstacle to having volunteers come, as does quarantine and the cost of flights, but thankfully we still have folks who are wanting to come.  We have a volunteer surgeon and his wife (Tom and Tina Jurich) scheduled to come end of February along with a new OB/Gyn and her husband (Laura and Taylor Myatt) who will be with us for 2 years.  We look forward to adding more doctors to our staff, as some of the regulars continue to get a break.