What a blessing it is to be a part of a sacrificial team! This past weekend was an excellent example of how the different parts of the Body of believers, working together to use the skills & gifts God has given them, can complete a task much bigger than a single person could accomplish alone.
A large part of our ministry here in aviation involves medical evacuations. Often this involves the sick or injured person being evacuated from interior villages
to our town for medical care. Without roads, this is often the
only way that patients are able to receive the medical attention they need. However, in some more serious cases, it involves evacuation from our town
out of our country to Australia, where more advanced medical care is available.
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A young patient
(broken arm) |
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Loading a patient to come to town
(a severed artery) |
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Trying to get comfortable
(another broken arm) |
This weekend a serious motorcycle accident occurred in our community. After an examination by our mission doctor and nurses, it was determined that the patient needed to be evacuated to Australia. This is not a simple process. Although I do not know all the details, I know there is much involved in arranging a med-evac. The insurance company of the patient needs to be called, with arrangements put in place. What will insurance cover? What paperwork needs to be submitted & when? The cost of the flight involved in a med-evac is definitely not cheap, not to mention the medical expenses. There is government paperwork to be completed: visa, exit/re-entry permits, etc., not only for the patient, but also for the nurses, doctors and pilots. There is paperwork that needs to be arranged for taking an airplane
out of the country and then back
in again. In addition to all the paperwork and phone calls necessary, the airplane also needs to be prepped for the special flight. Unfortunately (but not outside of God's plan), the best airplane available for med-evacs is currently down for maintenance (the PC-12, which is faster and has a pressurized cabin). Thankfully, another available plane was suitable for the task. Two pilots (not including my husband) were selected to fly, as the total trip time would exceed the daily limits for an individual pilot. Local ground crew was called upon to come into work on a Sunday, prepping the plane and then flight following during the journey. One of the nurses and the doctor accompanied the patient in the plane, to care for her en route.
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| So thankful for our medical staff! |
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| One of the capable pilots |
The
small role that I was honored to play was sending out a prayer request to our community here, asking for prayers on behalf of the patient and all those making decisions & jumping through the hoops to make the med-evac possible. It was a blessing to hear of many who were praying, offering assistance and ready to give up their "day-off" in order to carry the burden of the emergency. What a honor to be a part of this great sacrificial team! We are praising God that the latest news on the patient is that it was not as serious as it could have been. In time, the patient should heal completely and regain normal health! So thankful for all God did for our little community this weekend.
