Monday, August 24, 2009

Diseases in Menyama District, Morobe

Update as of Sept 10:
There have been 3995 cases of Flu reported with 59 deaths.
698 cases of Dysentery (20 in Huon district) with 38 deaths. This is from only the 25 villages that have been contacted by radio or health patrol visits. There are many more villages in Menyama District (approximate population of 69,000).
There are a number of health teams visiting now but still communication is hard due to terrain and cloud cover. The road is cut at Aseki with supplies being stockpiled there in anticipation of the road opening.
They say that the dysentery is the Shigella variety which is supposed to be the worst kind (I don't know if there are 'good dysentery' varieties!)

Update Sept 1:
Latest figures put the death toll at over 70 now.
More medicine cannot be flown in due to poor weather conditions and road deterioration.

Article in the National (Aug 24, 2009).
A mystery disease that 'spreads like wildfire' has killed 29 people in five villages in Morobe's Menyama district since last month. (as you can see in my 'general location map' that Menyama is a very remote part of PNG -actually Menyama is slightly to the West of my highlighted region)
Twelve have died in Akwange, fifteen in Ikunda and one in Lagai, all located in Kome LLG (local Level Government area).
They suffered sever headache, high fever, dysentery, sore throat, running nose and sneezing but the Menyama health centre only had medicines for normal flu.
Bina David (health centre manager) said it needed immediate government action.
Last Monday the Morobe health division officer was sent from Lae. He returned on Wednesday and on Friday a batch of drugs was sent to Menyama and then dispatched to the affected villages.
Mrs David said the roads and communication links in the area were poor and appealed for a specialist team to be stationed at Menyama. She feared more people would be affected.
(I have seen a picture of the main menyama road where the height of the 4WD is lower than the heights of the ruts on either side. The car was like it was driving down a small mud canyon.)

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Girls Birthdays

Tiarna had her 10th birthday on June 22. Jenaya's 8th birthday was on July 30.

Mazz bought a cake for each. She just got the biggest cake on the list to take in to Tiarna's class (not expecting it to be too big) and it took three classes to get rid of most of it.

Jenaya's cake was smaller with experience and only needed one class to finish it off.

In between the two birthdays was Emily Schneider's 4th birthday.

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Thailand Trip Part 5: Australia

After the Trip to Thailand I was not feeling the best with some episodes of Tachycardia. After spending nearly a day and a half at the Royal Brisbane, Women's Hospital I was sent home with a monitor on to record these small bursts of fast beats. By 7 o'clock on Monday night it was all over. (And no more since). Doctors can't explain it. Saw a cardiologist and he said to me that I always come and see him when nothing is wrong... had previous visit there in November 2007... different issue! hahaha

Before flying out to Thailand we had met some of our friends at Coolangatta for dinner. It is a very quick way to catch up but not especially easy on the weight reduction plan! We also met Sonya, Peta and the 'cousins' at Maccas.
Sonya, Simon, Peta

Jaxon, Ethan, Jenaya, Cooper, Kalon, Tiarna

On Wednesday on the way to the Cardiologist we had Hungry Jacks/Burger King for Breakfast as we got up very early to miss the traffic from Northern Brisbane to Tweed Heads by 8:45am. Met the Chilcotts (Marilyn's Mum and Dad, brother Geof and his wife Trudy) at Sizzler, Mermaid Waters. Then the Lewis kids with their families at Montezumas, Chermside for tea. Andrew and Kirsten are heading back to Germany for 6 weeks.
Man that was a day for the belly!

On Thursday night I went out with Jaco and some of his mates to bowling to help cheer up on of their friends... who didn't actually make it there!
If you got a strike you could wear a "I'm too Sexy" tie and if you missed all pins or got a gutter ball you had to hold a wooden spoon and wear a shower cap!
This explains the following!


On Friday, I went into the city and got a computer for ADRA PNG so we can edit our own movies/DVD productions.

Flew out Saturday morning to PNG. You would not believe it but all the connections were either on time or left a little early... first time ever for us!
Arrived home in Lae at 5:30 Saturday night.

Thailand Trip Part 4: Singapore

Singapore was great.

We went shopping… well window shopping… along Orchard Road, visited Sentosa Island via the cable car, visited Little India for dinner, caught up with an old friend (Dean Banks) and then had an ‘interesting’ experience at Changi Airport.

We stayed at the SDA Union Mission Transit apartments on Thompson Rd and that was really nice and handy to transport.

Thursday was Sentosa Island day. After catching the train we decided to get a package deal (wouldn’t do that again!) but the first thing was the cable car that left from the 15th story. I was very proud of Mazz as she faced her fear of heights to help her family enjoy the trip. She did have to face the back of the lift as the other side was glass and she didn’t want to go on the glass bottom cable car!


We went to Underwater world-which the girls thought looked "like Salamaua reef".

Outside Underwater World there were some wild monkeys that had it all worked out... There was a tourist who saw a 'cute little baby monkey' and decided that the signs saying "DONT FEED the ANIMALS" didn't apply to this little guy... as soon as the food was handed over this troop of well organised monkeys charged out of the bush across the road, ripped the food from the young monkey and attacked the tourist who fled! Here is the 'Boss Monkey' eating his rewards.


We went down to the beach on the chairlift. (Mazz faced more fears!)


The girls and I swam over to the little island that was supposed to be the “Most Southerly Point of the Asian Mainland”. In reality it was a small island off the coast of a slightly larger one (Sentosa) off the coast of an even larger island (Singapore). I think the real ‘southerly point’ would be mixed up in the mangrove forests and mud flats between Malaysia and Singapore.


We watched the pink dolphin show but it doesn’t compare to the dolphin show at Sea World on the Gold Coast where Jenaya got to pat a Dolphin. Plus it was very hot and our legs were aching and we were at the back of the crowd… hahaha

We (well Mazz) waited for 45 minutes for the 3-D log ride spectacular-which was slightly amusing as the sign kept doing a countdown of “Ride starting in 15 minutes…every 15 minutes! I think it was worth it though.

Back via the Cable car where I saw the fastest printed “Photo memories” in all our travels. At nearly all the tourist spots that we visited there are photographers that take a photo in front of a green screen, add the various attractions (tigers, elephants, monkeys, river cruise, underwater creatures, dolphins, etc) then ask you to pay up… This lady took our photo where we all were showing how ‘stuffed’ we were after walking around Sentosa all day and as there were no people waiting for the Cable car we walked straight on the next one there-before the doors closed she was pushing this photo frame on us. We politely said “No thanks” but I wonder what would have happened if I had said yes and then fumbled with my change… stopped the whole system?

Little India (via a bus trip through town) for Dinner was a feast of northern Indian/ Nepalese food. Then finally back to Transit flats to sleep.

Friday we went into Orchard road and were amazed at all the Gucci, Tiffany, Rolex, Chloe, Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Chanel, Prada, Ralph Lauren, Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, etc, etc.


It was just fun to walk along and check out the beautiful items for sale… at least I think they were for sale as I didn’t see a price tag… but like they say “If you have to ask the price you really shouldn’t be there!”

we decided to get this picture because of Tiffany (Marilyn's niece and Jenaya's 'favourite person in the world')


After all that walking we decided to all get a foot massage.

In the late afternoon we met Dean Banks and talked and had dinner at his place. Dean and I went to get it at a food court at the local shopping centre that I could have eaten for a month and not tried everything!

We headed off to the Airport at around 9 for a 11:30 pm flight.

Etihad had some ‘issues’. We sat on the tarmac in the plane for three hours! They then said we had to get off and we had to go through customs again… (place of arrival on the entry card was interesting) went to a Hotel and waited in lines again. Into our suite at the Traders Hotel at 4:30 am!

I was having some issues with my heart (some episodes of Tachycardia) I slept all morning while Mazz packed up and got the girls fed at the buffet downstairs. She rang to wake me up but I didn’t even hear the phone!

Back on the bus to the airport and after a wait at the fern garden we actually took off at 5:15 pm. Everyone cheered!

Arrived Brisbane at 2:30am, through customs etc. camped out at arrivals till around 5 am as we told Peta (sister) and Jaco not to pick us up till 5 (didn’t want to disturb their sleep too!)

Had a little sleep at their place then headed into Royal Brisbane Hospital to get my heart checked out.