Mission Log

Fact Sheet 2007
Country of operation:     Republic of Vanuatu

Areas of operation:       TORBA, PENAMA & SANMA Provinces

Time period of operation: Early July to mid October, 2007

Results accomplished:

Medical:

Over 1200 patients seen & treated
More than 550 adults, 650 children
    
Dental:

Over 1170 examinations (820 adults, 350 children)
More than 500 adults & 40 children required a total of
more than 850 extractions

Other care included cleaning and de-scaling, personal
instruction regarding dental care & oral hygiene

Health Education:

Video and instructional presentations attended by 6900
visitors (some individuals attended multiple sessions)
 - many were given personal advice as well

Glasses:

290 people provided with glasses  - 217 to assist vision
and over 80 people with Pterygium provided with sunglasses

Vaccinations:

1299 life saving vaccinations provided to children, pregnant
women, and women of child bearing age
All expatriate personnel were unpaid volunteers. Pacific
Yacht Ministries is a small, registered, non-profit charity
organized in 2002. It is managed by a small group of unpaid
volunteers and provides its services with funds generously
donated, mostly by private individuals.
 

Team 4 was the largest that PYM has assembled to date. A total of 21 people, professionals, helpers, and yacht crews for 4 yachts left Sola, Vanua Lava on Friday Oct 5. This team worked on Ureparapara Island, plus 5 islands in the very remote Torres group: Loh, Tegua, Hiu, Metoma, and Toga.

The results speak of the teams efforts:

Medical:
354 patients examined in total - 263 adult and 91 children

Health Education:
Over 2600 attendees at 12 locations participated in workshops and presentations. Subjects ranged through the usual:
Back strengthening exercises and back care techniques
Dental health and food
Women’s health and Breast examinations
Family planning
Breast feeding
Infertility
Domestic violence, rape and incest
DVD’s on alcohol,tobacco, germs, STD’s, general health and hygiene, and HIV/AIDS
How to make a bush toothbrush

Dental:
479 patients examined - 306 adults and 173 children
96 adults had 145 extractions while 9 children (12 years old and under) had 11 extractions

Glasses:
72 men and 40 women were provided with glasses  - 66 pairs for reading and distance vision problems, and 54 pairs of sunglasses to help slow down the growth of Pterygium on eyes already affected

Vaccinations:
421 disease preventing vaccinations provided to babies, school children, pregnant women, and women of child bearing age

This was a great effort carried out by an expatriate doctor, a dentist and assistant (both from Vanuatu), 5 expatriate registered nurses (one a registered midwife), and a cook, plus two staff members from the TORBA Provincial Health Office in Sola (both RN’s) who were overseeing the vaccination program.

God has blessed Team 3 with amazingly mild weather for this time of year. This has made it possible for the team to reach four islands that are very difficult to access when the winds are strong. Two would have been impossible with the normal Trade winds.

Team members have made good use of the time given them:

Medical:
193 patients examined in total - 169 adult and 24 children

Health Education:
Over 2000 attendees at 3 locations participated in workshops and presentations. Subjects ranged through:
Back strengthening exercises and back care techniques
Dental health and food
Women’s health and Breast examinations
Family planning
Breast feeding
Infertility
Domestic violence, rape and incest
DVD’s on alcohol,tobacco, germs, STD’s, general health and hygiene, and HIV/AIDS
How to make a bush toothbrush

Dental:
346 patients examined - 192 adults and 154 children
126 adults had 185 extractions while 14 children (12 years old and under) had 17 extractions

Vaccinations:
878 disease preventing vaccinations provided to babies, school children, pregnant women, and women of child bearing age
There was a doctor and a dentist, both from Vanuatu, 4 registered nurses, and a registered nurse/midwife plus helpers (all expatriates) on this team. There was 3 nurses from the TORBA Provincial Health Office who lead the vaccination program. Thank you team for a great effort.

Medical:
671 patients seen in total
601 adults - 263 men 338 women
70 children - 45 boys 25 girls

Health Education:
3584 participants in 19 locations (6 of them schools)

Dental:
375 patients in total
345 adult - 154 men 191 women
30 children - 14 boys 16 girls

304 adults lost a total of 507 teeth
22 children lost 24 teeth

Glasses:
75 men 103 women provided with 151 reading/distance glasses and 30 sunglasses for eye problems

I’m sure you will agree, this team was very busy on the islands of Pentecost and Maewo. Here is the evidence:

Medical:
562 patients examined in total - 512 adult and 50 children

Health Education:
3262 attendees at 12 locations, four of these were schools, participated in workshops and presentations. Subjects ranged through:
Back strengthening exercises and back care techniques
Dental health and food
Women’s health and breast examinations
Family planning
Breast feeding
Infertility
Domestic violence, rape and incest
DVD’s on alcohol,tobacco, germs, STD’s, general health and hygiene, and HIV/AIDS
How to make a bush toothbrush

When puppet programs about dental care were presented there was no problem getting the school children’s attention. Hopefully they will remember the themes of the programs they enjoyed so much.

Dental:
297 patients examined - 268 adults and 29 children
244 adults had 409 extractions while 21 children (12 years old and under) had 23 extractions

Glasses:
28 men and 38 women were given help with reading and distance vision problems through 58 pairs of glasses, and 11 pairs of sunglasses to help slow down the growth of Pterygium on their eyes.

There were 2 expatriate doctors, a dentist from Vanuatu with his assistant, a registered nurse, and a registered nurse/midwife plus helpers on this team. This is a great result especially considering that a couple of the team members themselves suffered from viral infections some time during the trip. Thank you team for a wonderful effort.

PYM has a team working in PENAMA Province of Vanuatu for the first time. This province includes the islands of Ambae, Pentecost and Maewo. Team 2 for 2007 began work at Pangi Health Centre at the southern end of Pentecost Island on August 7. Since then they have operated several clinics across Pentecost and Maewo Islands.

Pentecost is known for its land divers. These are the original bungy-jumpers. Young men dive head first from tall towers built of sapplings using springy vines wrapped around their ankles to break their fall. Should they misjudge the length of the vines the ground below has been dug up to soften their landing. The jumps are performed only at certain times of the year when the vines are their springiest. Death sometimes results.

Maewo has the reputation of being the wettest island in Vanuatu. It has many waterfalls falling over steep escarpments as a result. It is known as the island of waterfalls.

The team will conclude their tour of duty today at Kerepei Health Centre on Maewo. They will sail back to Luganville over the weekend for their flights home through Vila.

Without supporters the work of PYM would not exsist. Businesses in Luganville have been especially supportive of this work in the past. This year is no exception. Pacific Petroleum Pty Ltd has again provided fuel to help get the yachts to where they are needed, and Lo Chan Moon has provided food at discounted prices. A special thank you is extended to Daniel (Pacific Petroleum P/L) and Richard (Lo Chan Moon Store) for this willing and valuable support.

Team 1 members flew out over the weekend after working at two different locations. Their first week was on the east coast of the western penisula that forms part of Big Bay on the island of Santo. Their second week was on the western end of Malo Island. All four yachts working in northern Vanuatu were involved with the team to some extent.  Over the two weeks the team treated 109 medical patients, 78 dental patients,  removing 101 teeth, and assisted 78 people by providing glasses for reading or eye protection where Pterygium or other similar eye conditions existed.  This is a really good start to the year and the team’s work was much appreciated by those attending the clinics.

 Now the yacht crews are preparing to meet Team 2 members on Pentecost Island on August 9.

A vibrant team of young volunteers assembled in Luganville of the morning Sunday July 8. They departed on a ute with their gear to join two yachts waiting for them in Bag Bay on the Island of Santo. The yachts took them to the west side of this large Bay where they started work on Monday. Reports are that the work went well in the village of Jerivu and they have since moved to a village near Wora Point. We will give more details of the work and its results in the next update.

Four yachts are already working in Vanuatu and a fifth is on its way. ‘Drumbeat’, a large catamaran with a smaller catamaran ‘Just Another Angel’ arrived around the middle of June. ‘McDiver’, a third catamaran arrived in Vila in late June after an eventful trip. A broken boom and steering problems were fixed in Noumea, New Caledonia. ‘Windango’, the only monohull and baby of the fleet at 32 feet (Metres) arrived in Luganville on June 30. The vessels all met in Luganville in time for the arrival of the first team on July 6. A fifth yacht, ‘Siddiqi’, also a catamaran is currently rounding the bottom of New Caledonia on her way to Port Vila. She will join the others in September when ‘Drumbeat’ leaves. After a yachtless season in 2006, it is wonderful to have a number of vessels to help this year. Thank you yacht owners (skippers) and crews.