18/08/2026
Last weekend we had a call out to retrieve a mother who had arrived at the Nimoa Health Centre to have her 3rd baby. She was 41 weeks pregnant and had previous challenges with delivery which her babies did not survive. Reaching the mother was a challenge for us. THOR has landed on the water in the 2 passages that separate Nimoa Island from neighbouring Sudest and Panatinane Islands many times, but today both stretches of water were running with large swells whipped up by a 20knot SE blowing against the prevailing tide. The only other option was to pick-up from Misima airstrip, which would have a strong cross wind in the present weather conditions.
The nearest airstrip to Nimoa is at Tagula, only 1km on Sudest Island, but it has been closed for 30 years. I can only imagine how many people have lost their lives because of no way of reaching them. The mother, Eunice accompanied by her supporting husband, Paul had to travel 44 nautical miles from Nimoa to Misima by dingy, where the sea and the swells outside the reef can get up to six meters. They set off at 3am knowing the seas were at their calmest.
Sr Kila and I loaded the Beaver with medical supplies we had collected the previous day from the Public Health Office, for the Misima district hospital. While waiting for a confirmation call from Nimoa to say the family had left, Sr Kila made coffee, tea and sandwich for the mother as we knew they would be hungry and exhausted on arrival. We received the call at 8:15am to say that the dingy had left Nimoa for Misima early morning.
The couple arrived by dingy as we arrived overhead the airstrip. We waited at the airstrip for almost an hour before they arrived by the hospital ambulance. Sr Letma, the matron, had been busy with other patients, since there now was no doctor or HEO at the district hospital. The couple were exhausted and dehydrated from exposure to the elements from the sea when we meet them. Once settled inside the Beaver, Kila offered hot cups of tea from the thermos and biscuits she had prepared in advance. Eunice quickly got over the fear of flying as this was the first time they had been in an aircraft. She quickly fell asleep under a warm blanket and wouldn't wake up until we reached Gurney.
Paul mentioned he was very hungry and had not eaten since Eunice faced difficulty, and the journey to get help begun. He said ''I lost two babies and we really want this baby ''.
I loaded their cargo into the front float compartments. It's not much, just some food, umbrella, two clothes bags and sleeping mats, for Paul will be sleeping on the concrete floor outside the antenatal ward while Eunice is in confinement. It’s a hard stay for guardians of patients at the referral hospital. Rice daily and a concrete floor is nothing to these resilient people like Paul from the remote islands, for their compassion, respect and love is expressed not so much in words as in affirming action and support . But it's a small price to pay for getting the best obstetric care the province has to offer.
With admiration, and respect, and maybe a tinge of relief, we saw Eunice and Paul safely on their way to Alotau hospital and under the excellent care of the obstetric team. Kila had picked out a 'special' baby bundle for them when we arrived at our hangar. All babies and their mothers are precious of course, but this one is very special.
Thanks to ..
Nimoa Health Centre staff
Nimoa Dingy driver
Misima health staff
NAC staff
Alotau hospital Ambulance Driver
Obstetric Team Grace, Rodney, Alice
Rotary Boroko
